Written By Dr. Sean Olenek, D.C. on November 9th, 2026
What happens in the chamber, why one session isn’t the whole story, and our once-a-year hyperbaric deal
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but the holiday calendar is about to fill up fast, so this year we’re starting our biggest sale early. Before I tell you about it, I want to answer the question I get asked more than any other about hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT):
“How many sessions do I actually need?”
The honest answer is that HBOT isn’t a one-and-done treatment. Most of what makes it interesting happens over a series of sessions, and understanding why will help you decide whether it’s right for you.
What happens in the chamber
During HBOT you breathe concentrated oxygen inside a chamber pressurized above normal air pressure.
Normally, almost all the oxygen in your blood rides on your red blood cells, and in a healthy person those cells are already 97 to 99% full. Breathing extra oxygen at normal pressure can’t top them off much more. Pressure changes that. It dissolves extra oxygen directly into your plasma, the liquid part of your blood. Think of a sealed bottle of soda: the pressure keeps more gas dissolved in the liquid. Plasma can carry that oxygen into places red blood cells have a harder time reaching, like swollen, injured, or poorly circulated tissue.
Our chamber at Insight is a hard-shell chamber that runs at 2.0 ATA, which is within the range used in most of the research I talk about below.
Prefer to watch? Here I walk through the science of hyperbaric oxygen therapy:
Why one session isn’t the whole story
A single session feels good. Most people walk out feeling relaxed and even energized. But the changes researchers get excited about come from repetition, and there are three reasons why.
1. Your body responds to the change, not just the oxygen. When oxygen rises during a session and falls back to normal afterward, your cells read that drop as a signal to start repair programs, including building new small blood vessels. Researchers call this the hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox. It’s the main reason HBOT is given as a series of sessions instead of once.
2. Your mitochondria adapt over time. Mitochondria are the power plants inside your cells. In a blinded, randomized trial of middle-aged master athletes, 40 sessions at 2.0 ATA increased mitochondrial capacity and VO₂max (the gold-standard measure of aerobic fitness) compared with a placebo chamber. That’s the same idea as training: one workout doesn’t change much, but a consistent block of them does.
3. Repair cells build with repetition. Your bone marrow stores stem and progenitor cells, early-stage cells that help build new blood vessels. In a University of Pennsylvania study, one 2.0 ATA session doubled the number of these cells circulating in the blood, and over 20 sessions the number rose about eightfold. HBOT doesn’t create these cells; it helps release more of them into circulation. What they do from there depends on the person.
So how many sessions?
Most of the clinical research on HBOT used 40 to 60 sessions, spaced close together. Your number depends on your goals, and we’ll recommend a plan with you, but that range is a good reference point.
It’s also why this year’s Black Friday offer goes up to 40 sessions.
One thing you can do this week
Check your FSA or HSA balance. Many flexible spending plans have a use-it-or-lose-it deadline at the end of the year, so look up your plan’s rules before December. We accept FSA and HSA for all of our services, including hyperbaric.
And if you decide to start a series, put your sessions on the calendar now, before the holidays fill it. Consistency matters more than anything else.
What a session looks like at Insight
- Our chamber: a 2.0 ATA hard-shell chamber. You sit upright or recline, and it’s spacious enough that most people who worry about tight spaces find it comfortable.
- Sessions: 60 minutes. Many patients read, rest, or catch up on email.
- How it feels: ear pressure, like an airplane descending, while the chamber pressurizes. We’ll show you how to clear your ears.
- Safety first: we review your health history and medications before your first session. Some conditions need your physician’s clearance first, including heart failure, recent heart procedures, pacemakers and other implanted devices, a seizure history, and certain lung conditions.
- Pairs well with other care: many patients combine HBOT with chiropractic care, acupuncture, or red light therapy.
Our biggest sale of the year
Once a year, we run our best hyperbaric offer. From Tuesday, November 10th through Monday, November 30th, 2026, buy any hyperbaric session or package and get a second one 50% off, up to 40 sessions per patient.
| You buy | Second one (50% off) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Single session, $150 | $75 | 2 sessions for $225 |
| 10 pack, $1,350 | $675 | 20 sessions for $2,025 |
| 20 pack, $2,500 | $1,250 | 40 sessions for $3,750 |
The 20-pack row is the biggest savings: 40 sessions for $3,750, which is $2,250 less than 40 single sessions ($6,000) and $1,250 less than two 20-packs at our regular price ($5,000).
No code needed: our front desk applies the discount when you purchase, through November 30th.
Offer valid on purchases made November 10th–30th, 2026. Applies to hyperbaric oxygen therapy single sessions and packages only. Maximum 40 sessions per patient. If the two purchases differ, the 50% off applies to the lower-priced one. Safety screening required before your first session.
THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT.
Thank you for trusting us with your health. If you’ve been curious about hyperbaric, this is the time to start.
Read more
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: A Complete, Honest Guide — the science, the evidence, and what it can and cannot do.
- How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Supports Brain Health
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Insight — pricing, conditions, and how to book.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not a cure for any disease, and individual results vary. Many of the studies described are small. Talk with your physician before starting any new therapy.
References
- Hadanny A, Efrati S. The hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox. Biomolecules. 2020. doi:10.3390/biom10060958
- Hadanny A, et al. Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on mitochondrial respiration and physical performance in middle-aged athletes: a blinded, randomized controlled trial. Sports Med Open. 2022. doi:10.1186/s40798-021-00403-w
- Thom SR, et al. Stem cell mobilization by hyperbaric oxygen. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00888.2005