Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to Treat Veterans with PTSD

Veterans and casual observers continue to be mystified why the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) continues to insist on failed therapy programs to treat Veterans with PTSD.

Dr. David Cifu, the senior TBI specialist in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration, argues that Veterans treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy are receiving the best therapy possible to treat PTSD.   There is no reliable third-party verification to support Dr. Cifu’s bold assertion.

More to the point, Dr. Cifu dismisses ...

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Will Vincent Viola as Army Secretary Help Veterans with PTSD and TBI?

By all accounts, the selection of Vincent Viola for Army Secretary by President-Elect Donald Trump has received widespread bipartisan support.  Hopefully, a man of his military record and impressive private-sector track record can bring about competent leadership within the Army.

SFTT certainly hopes so, but is concerned that certain National Hockey League (“NHL”) Florida Panther business connections may cloud his judgement regarding Veterans and active duty personnel that have symptoms of PTSD and/or TBI.

Mr. Viola is a West Point graduate ...

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The VA Semantics of Treating Veterans with PTSD

While watching the “Talking Heads” address the Russian hacking scandal through the prism of partisan politics, it struck me that much the same language is used by the VA when discussing the treatment of Veterans with PTSD.

PTSD Support Veterans

While I have always thought that the proper use of language should be celebrated rather than used as a divisive instrument, I am very much bothered by the implications of blurring the ...

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Dysfunctional VA or a Paradise for Veterans?: Pause for Reflection

Stand for The Troops (“SFTT”) has long been critical of the manner in which the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) treats Veterans with PTSD and TBI.  Other critics have singled out long wait times for Veterans seeking treatment and other issues that have prompted Congressional inquiries.

Sadly, one can no longer discuss this issue dispassionately considering that many stakeholders and political candidates seem to be positioning themselves on one side of the debate or the other.  With a $170 billion budget and ...

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Throwing Snowballs at the Department of Veteran Affairs

Many years ago I was reading a biographic sketch of the late Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau.   According to the biography, teenager Trudeau was arrested by the Chinese police for throwing snowballs at a statue of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square.

Chairman Mao

He was released by Chinese police after explaining that “it was a Canadian tradition to throw snowballs at statues of famous people.” ...

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The VA Can’t Handle the Truth So Why Not Lie

In a moving round-table discussion hosted by Stand for the Troops (“SFTT”), Maj. Ben Richards provides a devastating overview of why the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) is failing to provide adequate care to brave Veterans suffering from PTSD. Let Ben explain why in his own words:

Drawing from internal and external VA studies, Maj. Richards exposes the great fraud perpetrated by the VA that claims to be providing adequate treatment to Veterans who suffer ...

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IDF and VA Part Ways on Efficacy of HBOT in Treating PTSD

Treating Veterans and Active Duty personnel suffering from TBI or PTSD with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (“HBOT”) has always been regarded as “black magic” by both the VA and the DoD.   In fact, earlier this year, the VA concluded their trial “study” with the following observations:

“To date, there have been nine peer-reviewed publications describing this research,” Dr. David Cifu, VA’s national director for physical medicine and rehabilitation recently told the Oklahoman. “All the research consistently supports that there is no ...

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Why Not Hyperbaric Oxygen for Veterans with PTSD?

SFTT consults with hundreds of Veterans with PTSD each year and many – if not most – are frustrated at the quality of treatment they receive from the VA.  While most Veterans will acknowledge that VA staff members have their heart in the “right place,” the bureaucratic landscape facing Veterans suffering from PTSD are formidable.  Why has it been so difficult to get Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment to Veterans suffering from PTSD?

SFTT reported earlier in the week of a new grant by DARPA to ...

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Maj. Ben Richards and his HBOT Treatment

Editor’s Note: Found below is a very moving letter from Maj. Ben Richards and the benefits he received from being treated by Hyperbaric Oxygen from Dr. Paul Harch. The letter is quoted in its entirety.

QUOTE

Maj. Ben RichardsIn the spring and summer of 2007 I (Maj. Ben Richards) had the privilege of leading Bronco Troop, 1-14 CAV, a Stryker-equipped cavalry troop, during intense combat operations in and around ...

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