What are arthropathies? 

Arthropathies are a series of diseases related to wear and tear of the locomotor system or alteration of the immune system. The most frequent pathologies in this group are arthritis and osteoarthritis. 

Arthritis is characterized as a chronic inflammatory disease, which occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. It not only affects the joints but can also attack other parts of the body such as the eyes, lungs, skin, and even the heart and blood vessels. It is estimated that approximately 1% of the world's population suffers from arthritis and that it can appear at any age, even during childhood.

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, affects approximately 10% of the population and is associated with aging, being more frequent in the population over 40 years of age. The most affected joints are the spine, hips, knees, fingers, and toes. This disease attacks the cartilage that covers the joints, causing pain, stiffness, clicking (dry noise) in the joints. 

Benefits of the Hyperbaric Chamber in patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis:

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps patients suffering from arthritis and osteoarthritis as it generates different physiological effects in the body. 

Hyperbaric oxygen decreases the degree of cartilage destruction since it is a fundamental molecule for the synthesis and maturation of the collagen fiber, providing a more stable fibrillar structure. Also, research has shown that hyperbaric oxygenation decreases cell death, which leads to the deterioration of articular cartilage. 

On the other hand, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has an immunomodulatory effect, which involves minimizing the body's own immune cells from attacking the body's own tissue.

Different research has shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the release of stem cells and activates their differentiation into different tissues, which could contribute to the repair of the affected joint. 

Also, hyperbaric oxygen has a vasoconstrictor effect that favors the reduction of the inflammatory response, the reduction of edema and pain, improving the patient's quality of life. 

5 benefits of Hyperbaric Treatment: 

The application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on arthropathies has the following benefits:

• Tissue regeneration
• Decrease of inflammation
• Immunomodulatory effect
• Pain relief
• Promotes recovery and mobility.