What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a comparative non-randomized study to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on 32 Japanese professional or semi-professional rugby players with grade 2 medial collateral ligament injuries.
What They Found
They found that visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain while walking significantly decreased from 37.4 to 32.4 immediately after hyperbaric oxygen therapy (p<0.001). The abstract does not provide the results for the time to return to play, which was the intended long-term outcome.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
While this study focused on athletes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy could potentially offer a non-invasive option for Canadian patients experiencing acute pain from similar ligament injuries. However, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness and applicability across a broader patient population in Canada.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in Japan and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
Key limitations include the non-randomized design and the abstract's incomplete reporting of the long-term outcomes, such as time to return to play.