What Are Muscle Injuries?
Muscle injuries comprise the broadest category of injuries affecting muscle tissue. They range from mild micro-injuries following intensive training to severe strains and ruptures requiring prolonged recovery.
Although muscle tissue has a relatively good blood supply compared with tendons and ligaments, it may still face significant challenges during healing, particularly when the injury is extensive or affects an area with limited microcirculation.
Muscle injuries occur across all sports but are more common in activities involving explosive movements, sprinting or physical contact. Depending on the mechanism involved, they are classified as direct injuries caused by a blow or collision, indirect injuries caused by sudden contraction or overstretching, and overuse injuries resulting from intensive or repetitive loading.
Characteristics of Muscle Injuries
Muscle healing depends critically on two interconnected processes: the regeneration of muscle fibres through the activation of satellite cells and the fibrotic response that bridges the injured area.
The balance between these two processes determines the final quality of recovery. An excessive fibrotic response results in scar-tissue formation, which reduces elasticity and increases the risk of recurrence.
Adequate local oxygenation is essential for the activation of satellite cells and, therefore, for genuine muscle-fibre regeneration. At the site of injury, the haematoma and swelling can substantially reduce blood flow, creating hypoxic conditions that inhibit these regenerative processes.
Another factor that may adversely affect the prognosis is myositis ossificans, the formation of bone tissue within the muscle. It may develop following extensive haematomas that have not been treated promptly and appropriately.
Research Literature and Studies
The research literature on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for muscle injuries is among the most extensive in sports medicine. Experimental studies in animal models and clinical research involving athletes have documented faster haematoma resorption, improved activation of satellite cells, increased synthesis of myosin and actin—the principal contractile proteins in muscle—and reduced fibrotic scar formation.
In elite athletes in particular, studies have reported a significant reduction in the time required to return to full competitive activity, without an increased recurrence rate. This suggests that healing was not only faster, but also of better quality.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Muscle Injuries
In muscle injuries, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is preferably introduced within the first 24 to 48 hours as an adjunctive intervention within the overall treatment plan.
Σε αυτή τη φάση, ο στόχος είναι διπλός: πρόληψη δευτερογενούς ιστικής βλάβης από ισχαιμία και επιτάχυνση της φλεγμονώδους φάσης.
At this stage, the objective is twofold: to prevent secondary tissue injury caused by ischaemia and to accelerate progression through the inflammatory phase.
The increased amount of oxygen dissolved in the plasma helps bypass the vascular insufficiency caused by the haematoma, ensuring an adequate oxygen supply to cells in the tissues surrounding the injury. At the same time, it reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines that could otherwise lead to an excessive fibrotic response and increased scar-tissue formation.
During the regenerative phase, hyperbaric oxygen therapy activates satellite cells, supports the synthesis of contractile muscle proteins and stimulates neovascularisation, helping ensure that the newly formed tissue is both functional and resilient.
A typical treatment course consists of 10 to 25 sessions, depending on the severity of the injury, and is planned in collaboration with the sports medicine physician and physiotherapist.