At Warrenton WOW, It’s All About the Oxygen

At Warrenton WOW, It’s All About the Oxygen

By Leonard Shapiro

Four years ago, Ralph Crafts became a true believer in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, otherwise known as HBOT. He was about to undergo surgery on both knees and his thumb and was told by his doctor that if he had HBOT treatments a day before and two days after the operation, it could make a huge difference in his recovery.

“It was incredible,” said Crafts, 75, a former Marine pilot who went on to own various businesses in high tech software, design and construction and has lived in the Marshall area for the last 26 years. “Four years ago, I couldn’t squeeze a tube of toothpaste with my left thumb. I now have full use.”

Crafts and his wife Bobbie, who also has benefitted greatly from what are known as “dives” into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, are the founders and owners of a relatively new local business—Warrenton Oxygen Wellness, as in WOW.

Fen Gardiner, operations manager at WOW.

Photos © by Leonard Shapiro

And “Wow!” it is for an increasing number of clients who have used the four hyperbaric oxygen chambers located in a 3,500-square foot space at 170 West Shirley Avenue. The facility opened in January and the client base has been growing steadily ever since for the $150 per 90-minute dive sessions.

Take a dive in this WOW hyperbaric chamber.

According to WOW’s website, “HBOT is simply a technique for delivering high-purity oxygen to every cell in your body, while you lie back in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber. During your therapy, referred to as a dive, you can listen to music, watch TV, read, or sleep—all you have to do is breathe. Your treatment protocol is tailored to your specific healing goals.

“Every cell in the body needs oxygen, and most illnesses and injuries are made more severe and difficult to overcome when the supply of oxygen is inadequate. HBOT is a simple, powerful, drug-free, and effective procedure for ensuring ample oxygen for literally every cell in the body. In use for more than a century, HBOT can be either a stand-alone source of healing or a complementary treatment for drug, radiation, physical, and other standard therapies.”

Operations manager Fen Gardiner oversees an eight-person staff at WOW. He’s seen scores of clients with a wide variety of ailments or injuries benefit from their so-called dives, including great improvement in combatting long-Covid symptoms like breathing and sleeping difficulty, brain fog and lack of energy.

“People will say, ‘I haven’t taken a deep breath like that in months,’” Gardiner said, citing the example of a 13-year-old girl who had long-Covid problems “and up until a couple of weeks ago, she couldn’t get out of bed. After five sessions, she’s volunteering as a camp counselor and keeps getting stronger.”

In its brochure, WOW states that, “While HBOT is not the primary treatment for many injuries and illnesses, it is known to help with a wide variety of health and wellness issues.”

The brochure lists twenty-five different physical or mental conditions where HBOT can be effective, including addiction and substance abuse, traumatic brain injury, migraines, arthritis, stroke, wound healing, Crohn’s and Lyme disease. No medical prescription is necessary for treatment at WOW, but sessions, with some exceptions, are generally not covered by insurance,.

“Is this a silver bullet? No,” Gardiner said, adding that, “It’s not a cure. But in many instances it can be a way to get people over the hump where the body can start to take over and really make a difference in how you feel and what you can do.”

WOW is located at 170 W. Shirley Avenue Suite 101 in Warrenton. For more information, go to WarrentonWOW.com.