Treat the Concussion: How HBOT Is Changing the Playbook for Concussions — An Interview with Dr. Daphne Denham

From Wounds to Brains: A Clinician’s Pivot

Dr. Denham didn’t set out to treat brain injuries. She trained as a trauma surgeon and later transitioned into wound and hyperbaric medicine, where she witnessed HBOT’s life-saving power firsthand.

Early in her HBOT career, her team treated a young woman with severe frostbite whose feet were turning black from lack of oxygen. After a series of hyperbaric treatments, the patient walked out with all of them intact—prompting the clinic’s proud new motto: “Ten Toes.”

That victory sparked a deeper question for Denham: If HBOT could deliver oxygen to dying tissue in a frostbitten limb, what could it do for an injured brain struggling with inflammation and swelling?

When her own daughter suffered multiple sports-related concussions—culminating in a severe one in 2016—she had her chance to find out. Standard concussion care offered little more than rest and reassurance. Drawing on her surgical understanding of pressure, oxygen, and cellular metabolism, Denham reasoned that the brain was undergoing the same ischemic crisis she’d seen in tissue wounds.

By adjusting HBOT pressure and duration to fit the injury, she saw her daughter “wake up” mid-session. “She turned around and said, ‘Okay, Mom—how much longer do I have to be in here?’” That single moment changed Denham’s trajectory—and hundreds of patients’ lives since.

Objective Proof, Not Just “Placebo”

To move beyond stories and into measurable science, Denham incorporated two FDA-cleared tools into her clinics:

• BrainScope, an EEG-based device that quantifies concussion severity on a 0–100 scale.
• RightEye , a neuro-optic tracking system that measures ocular motor performance and neural integration

The data were staggering. In one case, a patient scored “2” (severely concussed) before HBOT and “84” (non-concussed) after a single 70-minute session. Subsequent dives consistently stabilized scores and restored normal neurological function.

Denham’s findings challenge the passive recovery model entirely: with targeted HBOT, measurable recovery can happen within hours or days, not weeks or months.

The Case for Early Intervention

Denham’s clinics have now treated hundreds of concussion patients, from student athletes to veterans. Her data show that HBOT within the first 72 hours of injury yields the most dramatic improvements. In fact, 73% of her concussion patients now come in within three days—an unheard-of statistic in a field that still tells most families to “go home and rest.”

Early HBOT, she argues, can also reduce recurrence. “We just don’t see repeat concussions in most of our treated athletes unless the new hit is truly severe,” she says. “Their brains recover stronger and more resilient.”

Denham’s clinics have now treated hundreds of concussion patients, from student athletes to veterans. Her data show that HBOT within the first 72 hours of injury yields the most dramatic improvements. In fact, 73% of her concussion patients now come in within three days—an unheard-of statistic in a field that still tells most families to “go home and rest.”

Early HBOT, she argues, can also reduce recurrence. “We just don’t see repeat concussions in most of our treated athletes unless the new hit is truly severe,” she says. “Their brains recover stronger and more resilient.”

Many clinicians default to the long-standing protocol of 1.5 ATA for 40 dives, regardless of injury stage. Denham calls that approach outdated. Instead, she treats pressure, time, and cadence as a dose that should change depending on inflammation and patient response.

Her guiding principle is simple: observe, measure, and adjust. “Every brain injury is different,” she says. “The right dose is the one that restores function and holds steady under stress.”