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Treatment by Dr. Paul Harch Shows Improvement in Veterans with Brain Damage

Treatment by Dr. Paul Harch Shows Improvement in Veterans with Brain DamageVeterans with mild traumatic brain injury/persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) have shown significant improvements following a study at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) study was led by Dr. Paul Harch, director of hyperbaric medicine at the LSU center. Thirty veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars took part.

Like the Afghanistan and Iraq veterans in the study, Vietnam veteran Lieutenant Mike Meyers, suffered serious head injuries while serving in the Air Force and the Army. The injuries negatively affected his balance, hand-eye coordination, and memory. In addition, he experienced crushing migraines and suicidal thoughts. He was treated with methadone and muscle relaxers, but these medications hindered his ability to work. Although Lt. Meyers was not included in the study, as a patient of Dr. Harch he underwent the same HBOT treatments and showed marked relief from his symptoms.

In the study, Dr. Harch administered 40 sessions of HBOT to veterans with PPCS, most of whom had also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nearly all the veterans showed improvement like Lt. Meyers.

“Not only did they improve cognitively and symptomatically and their depression and anxiety were reduced,” Dr. Harch says, “but in particular, when we finally got all of the data in front of us, we found that nearly all of them who were thinking of suicide before the study started were no longer suicidal or having panic attacks.” As for Lieutenant Myers, it’s been four years since his last migraine.

Furthermore, before HBOT, the veterans’ brain scans were significantly abnormal compared to brain scans of a control group. After HBOT, the brain scans of both groups were statistically indistinguishable in 75 percent of abnormal areas. The HBOT study, which was recently published in Medical Gas Research, strongly suggests that the treatment stimulates tissue growth, halts inflammation, and deactivates cell death, Dr. Harch says.

In a policy reversal, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently authorized the use of HBOT for some veterans suffering from PTSD. “There is nothing more important to us than caring for our nation’s veterans, and that care must include finding different approaches that work best for them,” VA Secretary Shulkin said.

Dr. Harch, an American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) Diplomate in Emergency Medicine, personifies the commitment of the ABPS to high-level patient care through continued study and innovation. For more information about the ABPS, our mission, and the eligibility requirements for earning specialty certification with one of our Member Boards, contact us today.

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Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine
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