Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of those rare medical tools that can be genuinely miraculouswhen it’s used for the right reasons, with the right equipment, by the right people. It’s also one of those tools that becomes dangerously un-miraculous the moment it gets rebranded as a “wellness upgrade,” a “brain boost,” or (my personal favorite) a “cellular reset,” as if your mitochondria are just waiting for a software update.

In early 2025, a five-year-old boy died during a hyperbaric oxygen treatment session at a Michigan facility. The incident led to criminal charges and renewed scrutiny of how a legitimate therapy can be pulled into the orbit of medical hype, lax oversight, and profit-driven pseudoscience. This article isn’t here to dunk on desperate families. It’s here to explain how we got hereand how to keep it from happening again.

What happenedand why it matters

On January 31, a five-year-old boy was inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at a facility in Troy, Michigan, when a catastrophic event occurred. Reports described an oxygen-rich environment, a fire, and an explosion confined largely to the chamber itself. The boy died; his mother was injured nearby. Investigations followed quickly, and state authorities later filed criminal charges connected to the incident.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: tragedies like this are rare, but they’re not random. Hyperbaric chambers aren’t meditation pods. They’re medical devices that combine high pressure with high oxygen concentrationa pairing that demands strict protocols, trained staff, and relentless attention to safety.

And the details that make this story especially haunting aren’t only mechanical. Reporting indicated the child was receiving HBOT for conditions that are widely promoted in wellness circles (think attention issues, sleep problems, “brain optimization”) rather than for the well-established, evidence-based indications for which hyperbaric medicine is typically used in hospitals.

What HBOT actually is (and why it can be lifesaving)

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The pressureoften higher than normal atmospheric pressurehelps the lungs take in more oxygen than they could at room pressure, increasing oxygen delivery through the bloodstream to tissues that need it.

That mechanism can be hugely beneficial in specific scenarios. But “more oxygen” is not automatically “more health,” the same way “more hot sauce” is not automatically “more delicious.” (Sometimes it’s just more regret.)

When HBOT has strong medical footing

HBOT is typically used in hospital-based or specialized programs for conditions where improved oxygen delivery can meaningfully change outcomes, such as:

• Carbon monoxide poisoning and certain inhalation/toxic exposure scenarios
• Decompression sickness (diving-related illness) and air/gas embolism
• Severe, non-healing wounds (including certain diabetic foot ulcers under strict criteria)
• Radiation injury (tissue damage after radiation therapy)
• Serious infections where oxygen helps limit tissue death alongside surgery/antibiotics
• Compromised grafts/flaps where tissue survival is threatened
• Crush injuries and other limb-threatening ischemic problems

Different organizations describe the “approved/covered” list in slightly different ways (and insurance coverage has its own rulebook), but a common theme holds: HBOT is best justified when the condition is serious, the physiology makes sense, and the evidence supports real-world benefitnot just hopeful theory.

Why insurance coverage is often a clue (not a guarantee)

Insurance coverage isn’t the ultimate judge of truth (it has its own quirks), but it’s often a signal. When HBOT is used for established indications, it’s more likely to be covered because payers can point to clinical standards and evidence. When a clinic wants thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for “neurological optimization” or “ADHD enhancement,” that’s not automatically wrongbut it should immediately trigger questions like: What’s the evidence? What’s the protocol? What safety standards are being followed? Who is medically responsible?

Why a hyperbaric chamber is not a wellness gadget

HBOT can be safe in properly run programs. But “safe” in medicine never means “casual.” It means “managed risk.”

At a basic level, the risks come from two things:

1. Pressure changes (similar to diving or flying, but more intense)
2. High oxygen concentration (which increases fire risk and can affect the body in dose-dependent ways)

Common side effects (usually manageable)

Well-run programs carefully screen patients and monitor them during treatment. Even then, mild-to-moderate side effects can happen, including ear/sinus pressure or pain, temporary vision changes, fatigue, and anxiety/claustrophobia in enclosed chambers.

Serious risks (uncommon, but real)

More serious complications are rare, but they’re part of the reason HBOT demands medical oversight. These can include lung injury (including pneumothorax), oxygen-toxicity seizures in susceptible scenarios, and other pressure-related injuries. And then there’s the risk most people don’t “feel” until it’s too late:

Fire risk. Oxygen-rich environments increase flammability. That’s not a moral opinion; it’s chemistry with a strict personality. Safety protocols exist for a reason: controlling static sources, prohibiting certain materials/items, ensuring grounding, maintaining equipment, training staff, and monitoring the patient continuously.

When a clinic treats a hyperbaric chamber like a fancy recliner with bonus oxygen, it’s not “alternative medicine.” It’s alternative reality.

The quackery playbook: how a legit therapy becomes a “cure-all”

Quackery rarely walks in wearing a cape that says “HELLO I AM QUACKERY.” It usually shows up wearing a lab coat and talking about “inflammation” and “mitochondria,” because science words are the confetti cannons of health marketing.

Here are the most common moves that turn HBOT from evidence-based therapy into a dangerous vibe:

1) Expand the claim list until it covers everything except your taxes

Legit hyperbaric medicine is targeted. Quack hyperbaric marketing is a bingo card: ADHD, autism, “brain fog,” aging, athletic recovery, Lyme-adjacent symptoms, “detox,” and whatever is trending on social media by Tuesday.

Some of these areas do have ongoing research. But “being studied” is not the same as “proven,” and “plausible mechanism” is not the same as “clinically meaningful benefit.”

2) Use the “oxygen = good” shortcut

Oxygen is essential for life. So is water. But nobody thinks more water automatically cures everythingbecause we’ve all met the consequences of too much water. Medicine is about dose, context, and evidence.

3) Sell hope as a productespecially to families under pressure

When a child struggles with behavior, attention, sleep, development, or chronic symptoms, families are often exhausted and willing to try anything that seems safe. That’s not gullibility; that’s love under stress.

The ethical failure happens when clinics exploit that vulnerabilityoverselling benefits, underselling uncertainty, and treating safety standards as optional “red tape.”

4) Replace medical accountability with customer service

In real medicine, accountability looks like: credentialed supervision, documented protocols, adverse event reporting, equipment maintenance logs, emergency preparedness, and a willingness to say “this isn’t appropriate.”

In quack-friendly environments, “accountability” can shrink into: a waiver, a smile, and a receipt.

Regulation: what exists, what doesn’t, and why it matters

One reason HBOT is vulnerable to hype is that it sits at an awkward intersection: it’s a legitimate medical treatment, delivered through specialized equipment, but it’s also easy to market as “wellness” because the experience feels noninvasive.

HBOT chambers are regulated medical devices

In the U.S., hyperbaric oxygen therapy devices are regulated as medical devices. The FDA has also emphasized safe-use practiceshighlighting training, patient monitoring, fire prevention measures, equipment maintenance, and strict adherence to manufacturer instructions.

Facility standards and accreditation can matter a lot

Reputable hyperbaric programs often align with recognized safety standards (including fire protection standards) and may pursue accreditation through professional bodies focused on hyperbaric medicine. Accreditation isn’t magicbut it’s an external signal that a facility has been evaluated for equipment, staffing, training, and safety practices.

Oversight can get fuzzy in “wellness” settings

Hospitals and accredited programs usually have layers of oversight: clinical leadership, credentialing, safety committees, and regulatory expectations. Wellness centers can vary widely. Some are professional and careful; others operate in the gray zoneusing medical-grade equipment while marketing to consumers as if it’s a premium spa add-on.

That’s how you get a dangerous combination: a high-risk environment with low-friction consumer marketing.

A practical checklist before anyone climbs into a chamber

If you’re considering HBOT for yourself or your child, you don’t need to become a hyperbaric engineer. But you should ask questions that force a facility to reveal whether it’s practicing medicineor practicing marketing.

Step 1: Start with the indication

• What condition is being treated? Ask for the exact diagnosis/goal.
• Is HBOT considered standard care for this condition? If not, ask what evidence they’re relying on.
• What outcomes should we realistically expect? Beware guaranteed results or sweeping claims.

Step 2: Verify medical oversight

• Who is the supervising medical director? What are their credentials in hyperbaric medicine?
• Is there continuous monitoring during treatment?
• What is the emergency plan? Ask how they handle fires, medical distress, or pressure-related complications.

Step 3: Ask about safety protocols (a serious program won’t get defensive)

• What fire prevention protocols do you follow?
• How do you control static and prohibited items?
• How often is the chamber maintained and inspected?
• What training do staff members receive? How is competence maintained?

Step 4: Look for third-party signals of seriousness

• Is the facility accredited by a recognized hyperbaric accreditation program?
• Is it affiliated with a hospital system or wound care program? (Not required, but often reassuring.)
• Will they coordinate with your primary clinician? A reputable center welcomes collaboration.

Step 5: Watch for red flags

• They claim HBOT treats a long list of unrelated conditions.
• They promise dramatic results or talk like a motivational poster.
• They downplay risks or act offended by safety questions.
• They focus on packages, memberships, or urgency (“sale ends Friday!”).
• They frame skepticism as “negative energy.” (Science does not care about your vibes.)

What we should learnwithout blaming families

When a child dies in a medical setting, the grief is incalculable. It’s also predictable that the public conversation becomes a tug-of-war between outrage and defensiveness.

But the more useful question is: What conditions made this possible?

• A high-risk device being used outside tightly controlled medical programs
• Marketing that outruns evidence
• Oversight that’s inconsistent across settings
• A health marketplace where families are forced to shop for hope

Quackery thrives where people are suffering and systems are confusing. The solution isn’t to mock patients. The solution is to demand higher standards, clearer rules, and honest communication about what is known, what is unknown, and what is unsafe.

Conclusion: Make evidence boring again

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not inherently “quack.” It’s a real medical tool with real benefits for specific conditionsand real risks that demand rigorous safety practices. The tragedy in Michigan is a harsh reminder that when medicine gets repackaged as a consumer experience, the consequences can be catastrophic.

If there’s one takeaway worth taping to your mental refrigerator, it’s this: Any treatment powerful enough to help is powerful enough to harm. So ask the unglamorous questions. Demand real credentials. Look for real standards. And never let marketing talk you out of safety.

Experiences related to “Quackery (still) kills”: how the HBOT hype shows up in real life (extended)

People don’t end up in questionable hyperbaric programs because they’re reckless. They end up there because life is heavy and medicine can be slow, expensive, and emotionally unsatisfying. If you’ve ever tried to get a specialist appointment and been offered a time slot sometime around the next solar eclipse, you understand the appeal of a place that says, “We can start tomorrow.”

Experience #1: The exhausted parent spiral. A parent has a child with attention problems and sleep issues. They’ve tried routines, behavioral strategies, school meetings, and maybe medication adjustments. Progress feels inconsistent. Then a friend of a friend says, “Have you heard about HBOT? It’s oxygen for the brain.” The idea lands like a life raft: it sounds scientific, it feels noninvasive, and the marketing usually comes wrapped in heartfelt testimonials. The clinic’s website features happy kids, glowing reviews, and a list of conditions so long it could double as the table of contents for a medical textbook. The parent isn’t chasing magicthey’re chasing relief. The danger is when the clinic turns that relief-seeking into a subscription model: bundles of sessions, urgency, and a vibe that questions are “negativity.” In that environment, skepticism gets framed as “not believing in your child,” which is emotionally manipulative and deeply unfair.

Experience #2: The performance trap. Adults aren’t immune either. An athlete (or a normal human who just wants to feel less like a rusty hinge) hears that elite performers use HBOT for recovery. The logic seems simple: more oxygen, better healing, faster bounce-back. Sometimes the person does feel betterbecause rest, attention, and placebo are real forces, and because many people begin HBOT at the same moment they also improve sleep, reduce alcohol, and start taking recovery seriously. The problem is attribution: the chamber gets the credit for everything. That’s how “this helped me a bit” becomes “this will help everyone” becomes “this replaces real care.”

Experience #3: The chronic-symptom marketplace. For people living with chronic symptomspain, fatigue, brain fogthe healthcare system can feel like a maze of “normal labs” and “try again later.” In that vacuum, certainty is addictive. A wellness center offering HBOT may present a confident story: inflammation, toxins, oxygen deprivation, and a protocol that “targets the root cause.” The story is neat. Real biology is not. The risk is that people spend enormous amounts of money on unproven protocols while delaying treatments with better evidenceor while ignoring the importance of careful diagnosis in the first place.

Experience #4: The moment the tone changes. One of the most telling experiences people describe is the instant they ask a pointed questionabout evidence, adverse events, safety protocols, staff credentialsand the atmosphere shifts. A serious medical program welcomes that conversation. A hype-driven program often tries to glide past it with charm, reassurance, or a subtle guilt trip. That tone change is information. Treat it like information.

These experiences don’t mean HBOT is “bad.” They mean our health culture is vulnerable to a specific kind of sales pitch: the one that sounds like medicine, feels like wellness, and moves fast enough that nobody checks the fine print. If the Michigan tragedy does anything good for the world (and it’s awful that we even have to ask for a “good”), it should be this: a collective push to treat hyperbaric chambers with the seriousness they demandand to protect families from industries that monetize hope while discounting safety.

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