Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's: From Skeptic to TELL ME MORE

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Caregiver sitting beside husband in home hyperbaric oxygen chamber with desert view through window


I was watching Dave Mac's No Carb Life channel the other day — specifically an episode called "They Said It Would Only Get Worse" featuring a couple named Dean and Jodie. If you haven't seen it, it's worth your time. It's sitting at over 93,000 views and climbing.



Now I'll be honest. I've been skeptical of oxygen therapy for years — remember those Japanese oxygen bars? Flavored air at normal pressure while you sip a smoothie. That's not this. HBOT is pressurized to 1.5 to 3 times normal atmosphere, which is what forces oxygen deep into your tissues and brain. The pressure is the whole point. So when I started listening to Jodie describe her experience inside the chamber — the ear pressure, the sessions, the commitment — didn't necessarily convince me on the spot. I'm a caregiver. I've heard a lot of "miracle" claims over the years, and my guard goes up fast. But what it DID do was drive me to start asking questions.

And I'm liking the answers.

WHAT IS HBOT, IN PLAIN ENGLISH?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy — HBOT for short — is basically breathing pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The pressure pushes oxygen deeper into your blood, your tissues, your brain — places it doesn't normally reach in high concentrations. It's been used for decades for wound healing, decompression sickness in divers, and serious infections. What's newer is the research into what it can do for the brain.

And that's where it gets interesting for people like us.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS — ALZHEIMER'S

This is where the science is furthest along. A February 2026 study published in Experimental Neurology found that HBOT targets multiple problems at once in Alzheimer's — clearing amyloid plaques, restoring mitochondrial function, and reducing neuroinflammation. Not just treating symptoms. Going after root causes.

There's a case study of one patient who did over 400 HBOT sessions across seven years. The result? Cognitively stable. No major decline. Still driving. Still independent. Seven years after diagnosis.

A December 2025 study out of the University of North Texas Health Science Center found cognitive improvements in Alzheimer's models, with the benefits more pronounced in females than males. (Ladies, take note.)

But — and this matters — a 2024 meta-analysis of clinical trials said we still need larger, more rigorous studies to fully nail down the clinical value. The research is promising, not conclusive. I'm not going to oversell it.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS — PARKINSON'S

This one hits closer to home for me. My hubby Dave has Parkinson's.

A 2025 meta-analysis looking at 13 studies and 958 patients found that HBOT improved motor function, cognitive function, and sleep quality while reducing daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's patients. Another 2025 review found it also helped with anxiety, depression, and swallowing dysfunction.

If you're a caregiver, you know those aren't small things. Sleep disruption, daytime fog, anxiety — those affect quality of life every single day. And most of the standard medications don't touch those symptoms well.

THE ROOT CAUSE ANGLE — THIS IS WHAT GOT ME

Here's what really made me sit up during Dean and Jodie's interview. They didn't just jump into a chamber and hope for the best. They looked for what was CAUSING the inflammation in the first place. For them, it was mold exposure. For someone else it might be Lyme disease, heavy metal exposure, pesticides, or a dozen other things.

The idea is this: chronic inflammation drives the amyloid plaque buildup in Alzheimer's and the dopamine neuron loss in Parkinson's. If you can identify what's stoking that inflammation AND use HBOT to help the brain recover from the damage — that's a one-two punch that actually makes sense.

The Neurological Recovery Roadmap showing chronic inflammation iceberg with root causes below the surface and HBOT therapy for brain repair


For Dean and Jodie, the root cause was mold in their home — that's what was making the brain worse. For someone else it could be something completely different. The brain is complex, and before you spend money on HBOT, it's worth asking your neurologist a simple question: is there something we haven't found yet that's still doing damage? Some HBOT clinics that specialize in neurological conditions will actually help you figure that out before your first session. Others just run the therapy. Either way — fix the leak before you mop the floor.

And if you or your loved one is managing cancer alongside a neurological condition — like Dave is — clear HBOT with your oncologist too, not just your neurologist. High oxygen levels can interact with certain chemotherapy protocols. Ask both doctors before you start. For us we have a dr's appt with the oncologist this week - guess what I am asking about?

Two doctors consulting about chronic inflammation and HBOT for neurological conditions


THE MONEY QUESTION — $50K VS. $250

Dean and Jodie bought their own chamber. Around $50,000. That's real money. For a lot of families — especially retirees, especially on fixed income — that might be the equity in a reverse mortgage. That's not a casual decision.

Here's what I'd suggest before anyone writes that check: try it first.

HBOT sessions at clinics in the Phoenix area run around $250 per session. Most treatment plans are 20 to 40 sessions. So you're looking at $5,000 to $10,000 for a full course of treatment to find out if your body even responds.

That's a lot of money too — I'm not pretending it isn't. But it's a fraction of $50,000, and it tells you whether this therapy works for YOU before you commit to a machine in your living room.

BUT DO I NEED THE EXPENSIVE ONE?

This is where I got excited. Most of the positive research on HBOT for neurological conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's was done at 1.5 ATA — not the higher 2.0 ATA that requires a hard-shell clinical chamber. Studies found that 1.5 ATA significantly improved cognitive function in brain injury patients and was better tolerated by elderly patients than higher pressures. One study even showed that mild HBOT at 1.3-1.5 ATA slowed the loss of dopamine neurons — the exact thing Parkinson's attacks.

That matters because a soft-shell home chamber that hits 1.5 ATA runs around $7,000 to $17,000 — not the $50,000 Dean and Jodie spent on their hard-shell unit. Your neurologist should decide what pressure is right for you, but it's worth knowing that "more pressure" doesn't automatically mean "better results" when it comes to the brain.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY

Some people hear "hyperbaric oxygen therapy" and think they need to fly to Mexico or Europe. You don't. There are clinics right here in Arizona:

Banner University Medical Center Phoenix — Hospital-based, UHMS-accredited program with trained physicians and certified staff. If your doctor is already in the Banner system (ours is), an internal referral might help with insurance. Phone: 602-839-6040.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy of Arizona — Independent outpatient clinic on Cave Creek Road in Phoenix. They've been doing this for over 21 years and offer free consultations. Phone: 602-996-8327. Website: hbotofaz.org

HonorHealth — Two locations (Scottsdale and Phoenix). They note that most insurance plans cover HBOT and will help coordinate authorization. Phone: 602-786-0110.

Mayo Clinic — They offer HBOT but only by internal referral from a Mayo physician. So if you're already a Mayo patient, ask your doctor.

Yes — some insurance plans DO cover HBOT. It depends on the diagnosis and the plan, but don't assume you're paying out of pocket without checking first.

THE KETONE CONNECTION — WHY MCT OIL MATTERS HERE

Dean and Jodie mentioned MCT oil during the interview, and if you've been in the Parkinson's or Alzheimer's world for any length of time, you've probably heard about it too. Here's the short version of why it matters:

Your brain runs on glucose. In Alzheimer's — and increasingly, researchers believe, in Parkinson's — the brain starts struggling to use glucose efficiently. It's like a car engine that can't burn regular fuel anymore. Ketones are the backup fuel, and your brain can use them just fine even when glucose metabolism is failing.

MCT oil — specifically the C8 (caprylic acid) fraction — is the fastest way to get ketones to your brain without going on a full ketogenic diet. One study found that 30g/day (about 2 tablespoons) of MCT oil doubled brain ketone consumption in Alzheimer's patients. The longest study to date found that 80% of Alzheimer's patients who took MCT oil showed stabilization or improvement in cognition over 9 months of continuous use.

Here's a detail that surprised me: regular coconut oil is only about 7% C8. Most store-bought MCT oil is about 12% C8. If you want the brain fuel, you want pure C8 MCT oil. We used to take up to 6 tablespoons of coconut oil a day for Dave — now we use 1 tablespoon of concentrated MCT oil, and it's probably doing more. Make sure to read my article linked in additional reading at the end of the articel or click on it now. Liquid Clarity: Comparing Olive Oil vs Coconut Oil for Parkinson's Support

Research doses range from about 1.5 to 3 tablespoons per day, but start low — GI side effects are real if you jump in too fast. And get it in a glass bottle. MCT oil can react with certain plastics, and glass is just cleaner. We buy ours at Sprouts, but if you want it delivered:

Natural Force Organic Pure C8 MCT Oil — Glass Bottle, 32oz (Amazon)

Talk to your doctor before adding MCT oil to your routine, especially if you're managing other conditions. But this is one of those rare supplements where the research actually backs up the hype.

THE EAR THING

Jodie mentioned some ear pain when the pressure reached the therapeutic level of about 1.5 ATA. That's normal — it's the same sensation as your ears popping on an airplane, just more intense. It's not dangerous. The clinics know how to manage it, and most people adjust after a few sessions.

One thing I loved hearing — Jodie reads aloud to Dean during his sessions. Sometimes he just naps. You're in there for 60 to 90 minutes, so make it yours. Bring a book, bring a podcast, bring a playlist. Or just close your eyes and rest. Personally, I'd bring a glass of wine, but I don't think they'd let me.

WHERE I LAND ON THIS

I'm not sold. I'm not NOT sold. I'm in the "tell me more" camp — which, if you know me, is further than most things get. I am actually just a little past that into if the oncologist and neuro agree - lets try it out for up to a month and see if it helps.

What I know is this: the research is real and growing. The mechanism makes scientific sense — especially the inflammation and root-cause angle. The therapy is non-invasive and the side effects are minimal. And for someone like Dave who is managing Parkinson's alongside cancer, with a lifetime of environmental exposure stacked up — I want to know more.

Dave's neurologist is at Banner's research center in Surprise. She's not worried about his cognition right now, which is a blessing. He exercises, he takes targeted supplements, and he's still far above most. But "far above most" doesn't mean we stop looking for what might help him stay there.

Next step for us: a conversation with his neurologist about HBOT, and possibly a trial course at one of these Phoenix clinics. I'll keep you posted.

You know Josh — he has a way of putting things that sticks with me. He said once: "Let's just back up the train and start over." Good life advice.

IF YOU WATCHED THE EPISODE TOO

Here's the link again: They Said It Would Only Get Worse — No Carb Life

Dean and Jodie's story is their story — not medical advice, not a prescription, not a promise. But it's worth hearing. And if it drives you to ask questions like it drove me, that's a good thing.

Because "it will only get worse" is not a sentence any caregiver should accept without a fight.





If this post helped you think differently about HBOT, or if it just saved you hours of research — a small coffee keeps the stories coming.


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Written by Darla Hanger — with AI research assistance. All opinions are mine. All mistakes are probably also mine. The wine joke is definitely mine.