Topical O2 - Past, Present, and Future
Past thinking held that oxygen therapy had to be administered systemically (100% oxygen breathed at an increased pressure of 2-3 atmospheres) to produce positive outcomes. However, new studies have been able to establish the efficacy of TO2 and resolve some of its previously unexplained success.
A 2005 study used topical oxygen for wound healing in pigs (as their tissue closely resembles human tissue) and revealed that within four (4) minutes the tissue pO2 of superficial wound tissue increased over 40mmHG with the application of topically applied pure oxygen1. Click to know more
Additionally, a 2008 study has proven that topically applied O2 induces Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression and improvement in wound size.2 Click to know more
It is becoming clear with these and further studies that TO2 plays a key role in the production of oxygen derived by-products which play an integral role in wound healing.