Why "Rest and Wait" Isn’t Enough—And What You Should Know About Real Recovery

For decades, the standard advice for concussion recovery has been to rest and wait. But at Healing with Hyperbarics, we’re redefining recovery by offering a true treatment that targets the brain injury at its source.

Dr. Daphne Denham, founder of Healing with Hyperbarics, has been at the forefront of treating concussions for more than a decade, helping thousands of patients heal—not just manage—symptoms. She has witnessed firsthand the life-changing effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, giving patients a real path to recovery.

If you—or someone you love—has experienced a concussion, these facts could change everything you thought you knew about healing.

1. Concussions Can Be Treated—Not Just Managed

You don’t have to live with a “new normal” of headaches, brain fog, and fatigue. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a science-backed treatment that helps the brain heal, not just cope. By flooding the body with 100% oxygen under pressure, HBO therapy reduces swelling, accelerates repair (at the cellular level), and restores blood flow to injured areas of the brain.

Learn more: What is a Concussion? Causes, Symptoms & Breakthrough Treatment Options

2. Concussions Are a Metabolic Crisis

Research shows concussions are a metabolic emergency. After a concussion, your brain’s oxygen demand skyrockets—but blood flow drops, meaning the brain cells are getting less oxygen. This oxygen shortage stalls healing and can worsen symptoms.

That’s why using hyperbaric oxygen to treat concussions just makes sense. HBO therapy addresses this imbalance by delivering oxygen-rich plasma directly to injured cells—allowing the brain to recover faster.

“In short, we hyper-oxygenate, allow the brain cells to repair, and the concussed brain is no longer concussed.”
— Dr. Daphne Denham

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3. Acute Concussions Often Resolve in 4 Treatments

How many hyperbaric treatments are needed for a concussion?

Patients with acute concussions—seen within 2 weeks of injury—on average, need just (4) one-hour treatments to fully recover—especially when paired with "brain rest." Returning too early to activity (screens, loud noise, homework, etc.) more quickly uses up the oxygen received through HBO therapy.

1–5 treatments needed for acute cases
2 treatments/day may mean recovery in just 3 days
Significantly lowers the risk of developing post-concussion syndrome (PCS)

When patients follow this protocol, brain rest and consistent treatment, we see an average of only 4 treatments needed.

4. Real Treatment Means Faster Return to Life

Once symptoms are gone and brain function is restored, patients can confidently return to school, work, and sports—often in just a few days and without the need for accommodations or extended return-to-play protocols. With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, many patients experience full symptom resolution after just two treatments per day over the course of two days, allowing them to resume daily activities as early as day three. Because HBO therapy addresses the injury at its root, the brain returns to pre-concussion function—meaning no ongoing modifications or restrictions are needed. Simply put, once the brain is healed, life can resume as normal.

“Our patients often return to full academics and activities—with no accommodations needed.”
— Dr. Daphne Denham

Learn more: Our concussion services

5. Re-Injury Risk Decreases After Treatment

Research has shown an increase in subsequent concussions in patients who have had a concussion, and a history of untreated concussions is a risk factor for prolonged concussion recovery. In short, untreated concussions leave the brain more vulnerable.

However, since we began treating concussions, we have not seen the same rate of re-concussion. HBO-treated patients report significantly lower re-injury rates. While patients may get another concussion, it takes another significant trauma—not a minor bump—to sustain a subsequent concussion.

6. Your Brain Doesn’t Always Know It’s Hurt

Standard concussion assessments rely heavily on symptom checklists. But your brain can’t always accurately self-report the full extent of your injury … after an injury.

While the brain reports well for an injury like a sprained ankle, it does not do as good of a job reporting an injury to the brain itself. The current standard of care for brain injuries are subjective symptom reports (ACE and PCS scales). While symptom profiles are important to understand, they do not represent the full extent of their injury. Objective brain tests should be the new standard of care.

At Healing with Hyperbarics, we are on the cutting-edge of research for these objective tests for concussions, using:

BrainScope: Measures electrical activity of the brain
RightEye: Assesses eye movement, visual tracking, and more

7. The Risk of Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) Is Real

Studies show up to 58% of patients develop PCS when concussions are left untreated. HBO therapy addresses the injury early, helping patients avoid lingering symptoms like:

Dizziness
Migraines
Light/noise sensitivity
Depression & anxiety
Fatigue & brain fog

8. Preventing Long-Term Damage from Concussions

Many concussion patients are told to “sit and wait” for symptoms to resolve—or worse, to manage or “live with” them. But without real treatment, these patients are at risk of developing post-concussion syndrome (PCS)—a condition where symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches persist for months or even years.

Research shows that only 27% of people eventually recover from PCS. This underscores a major gap in how concussions are treated—and the urgent need for effective intervention.

The good news? Hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers a proactive path to healing. By starting treatment early—ideally within the first two weeks—patients can reduce inflammation, restore oxygen to damaged brain cells, and accelerate recovery.

At Healing with Hyperbarics, we don’t just manage symptoms—we treat the injury at its root. As a result, our acute concussion patients often recover fully before PCS can develop. Early treatment isn’t just about feeling better faster—it’s about preventing long-term consequences and helping the brain truly heal.

9. Many Doctors Still Dismiss HBO Therapy

Multiple physicians have completely disregarded hyperbaric oxygen as a treatment for concussions without understanding the mechanisms or looking at the data.

HBO therapy is backed by decades of research and thousands of successful patient outcomes—but it’s still not widely recommended. At Healing with Hyperbarics, we follow science, not the status quo.

100% pure oxygen, delivered under pressure, gets oxygen to the injury, and treats it.

When you understand the metabolic crisis of a concussion, you understand the need to get oxygen to the brain, especially after a brain injury when blood flow to the brain is at an all-time low. By providing high concentrations of oxygen, hyperbaric treatment is solving this metabolic problem. This mechanism of treatment makes sense, but unfortunately, most physicians are not aware of the mechanisms and are unwilling to look at our data. This poses a problem for their patients who could benefit greatly from treatment.

Explore the evidence: What can be treated with HBO therapy

10. Early Treatment Can Prevent the Injury From Progressing

Symptoms often worsen over the first 72 hours post-injury. When HBO therapy is administered within the first 24 to 48 hours, it can stop the injury progression and decrease the extent of the injury. This means the ideal time to come in for treatment is within those first 3 days, because early treatment does not allow the brain to progress to the full extent of the injury.