What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed existing studies to see if extra oxygen, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), helps treat or prevent migraine and cluster headaches.
What They Found
Nine studies involving 201 participants were included in the review. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was found to be effective for relieving acute migraine and appeared sufficient for acute cluster headache attacks. Normobaric oxygen therapy (NBOT) also helped stop acute cluster headaches compared to a fake treatment, but not when compared to a standard medication.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients experiencing acute migraine or cluster headaches, this review suggests HBOT could be a potential treatment option. However, due to its cost and limited availability, it is not considered a routine therapy. Patients should discuss these findings with their healthcare provider to determine if HBOT is suitable, especially if standard treatments are ineffective.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The review was based on a small number of studies and participants, and the authors noted that the high cost and poor availability of HBOT currently prevent it from being a routine treatment.