What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial in the northwestern United States to investigate hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as an adjunct to reduce withdrawal symptoms for adults initiating a medically supervised methadone dose reduction.
What They Found
Of the 17 participants randomised to HBOT, 13 (76.5%) underwent medical screening and sessions, with 9 (69.2%) completing all five 90-minute sessions. At 3 months, the HBOT group maintained an average 4.3-mg methadone dose reduction, compared with an average reduction of 0.25 mg for control group participants. Opioid withdrawal symptoms were also reduced by twice as much after Day 1 of HBOT compared with the control condition.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in the United States and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The small sample size and single-site nature of this study limit the generalizability of its findings.