Clinical efficacy and mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of rheumatic and immune diseases

Rheumatic and autoimmune diseases represent one of the major causes of chronic joint and muscle pain, skin ulceration, and mental depression, significantly impairing patients' physical and psychological wellbeing as well as their quality of life. Current evidence suggests that hypoxia may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases and their associated complications. Hypoxia can induce pathological cellular stress, thereby triggering cell death. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a well-established, effective, and safe method for significantly increasing dissolved oxygen content in plasma and arterial oxygen partial pressure. Based on a comprehensive review of all relevant literature published in the past decade and indexed in PubMed regarding HBOT for rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, the following findings were observed: HBOT demonstrated an efficacy rate of 87.5%-100% in treating rheumatic and autoimmune diseases complicated by skin ulcers. For patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), the pain relief rate ranged from 87.5 to 100%. Additionally, HBOT exhibited favorable therapeutic effects in cases involving sensorineural hearing loss and acute macular neuroretinopathy secondary to rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. Regarding safety, adverse effects were reported in seven studies, primarily including mild barotrauma, tinnitus, headache, and claustrophobia. All adverse events resolved upon discontinuation of HBOT, and no severe adverse reactions were documented.