Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has become something of a buzzword in the wellness community over the last several years, even though the origin of this technology dates back to 1662. Despite its growing popularity among the healthmaxxing and biohacking groups, HBOT remains largely unknown and often misunderstood. So, what is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy really, and what’s the difference between medical and mild HBOT?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves the application of two variables: oxygen and pressure. Increased oxygen is given to patients, usually by means of a non-rebreather mask, to breathe during treatment. Pressure inside the chamber is increased to varying degrees during treatment. Pressure can be measured in several ways, but the most common in HBOT is atmospheres absolute (ATA). This measures the absolute pressure during an HBOT session, with 1 ATA representing the baseline pressure equivalent to sea level. The power of HBOT comes from the increase in pressure coupled with increased inspired oxygen. These are two components which are beneficial on their own but work synergistically to produce exponential effect.
Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (mHBOT) is the application of low pressure and lower-flow concentrated oxygen. The only FDA-approved mHBOT chambers pressurize to 1.3 ATA without other pressure options. Specialized, high-output oxygen concentrators are used to deliver increased oxygen to patients inside these chambers. Oftentimes, only a nasal cannula on low flow is used; at other times, a non-rebreather mask can be used if the oxygen concentrator has a high enough output. Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is useful for wellness, recovery, altitude acclimation, and longevity. At Mountain Hyperbarics, our mHBOT chamber is FDA-approved for safety, quality, and effectiveness. We deliver 95–97% concentrated oxygen through a non-rebreather mask at high flow (10 liters of oxygen per minute).
Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is the application of variable pressure and the delivery of high-flow-rate, 100% pure, medical-grade oxygen. Medical-grade chambers typically start at 1.5 ATA and reach up to 2.2–2.5 ATA. Some chambers go as high as 4.0 ATA, but that pressure is reserved for serious, rare, and acute conditions. Many conditions require higher pressures that mHBOT chambers cannot attain. Medical HBOT is used for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), non-healing wounds, radiation injury, infections, surgical recovery, orthopedic injury, neurological disease, long COVID, and more. At Mountain Hyperbarics, our medical-grade chamber attains pressures between 1.5 and 2.2 ATA and is FDA-approved for safety, quality, and effectiveness. 100% pure, medical-grade oxygen is delivered through a non-rebreather mask at a high flow rate (15 liters of oxygen per minute).
Despite Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy’s meteoric rise in popularity, it is still a medical intervention and can come with side effects, prescription drug interactions, and contraindications. If you have never used HBOT before, talk to a professional about possible treatment. At Mountain Hyperbarics, you can be confident about receiving treatment in FDA-cleared chambers under the supervision of certified technicians. Interested in how HBOT can help you? Schedule a consultation here to learn more.
Mountain Hyperbarics
October 26th, 2026.
