What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised double-blind trial to assess the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy compared to a placebo for treating multiple sclerosis.
What They Found
The trial, involving 41 patients, found no advantage of hyperbaric oxygen over a placebo gas mixture. In the oxygen group (21 patients), 8 reported improvement (2 objectively confirmed), while in the placebo group (20 patients), 7 claimed improvement (4 objectively confirmed). No benefit was observed even when considering patients with mild disease or assessing individual functional systems.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are based on a specific hyperbaric oxygen regimen and a relatively small sample size of 41 patients.