The Phillies now have a partnership with NexGen Hyperbaric.
The Phillies and NextGen Hyperbaric announced a partnership Tuesday that will make Philadelphia the first MLB club to "implement a dedicated clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) program for its players."
Paul Buchheit — who is the well-respected head athletic trainer for the Phillies — had this to say of the new partnership.
“The Phillies Medical Services Department continuously strives to provide the highest quality care for our players to not only maintain overall health and wellness but also to enhance performance," Buchheit said. "We feel that NexGen Hyperbaric is a key partner to provide the best medical grade, hyperbaric oxygen therapy available to help promote tissue healing, reduce inflammation, and enhance recovery. We are excited to incorporate their technology into our players’ recovery program.”
Hyperbaric chambers have become popular as a recovery tool around sports in recent years. However, these are medical grade HBOT, as opposed to some of the more mild HBOT. Here are some of the purported benefits of the HBOT:
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves delivering 100% medical-grade oxygen to a person in a pressurized chamber, allowing the lungs and bloodstream to absorb significantly more oxygen than under normal conditions. This increased oxygen availability accelerates the body’s natural healing processes.
- Enhanced tissue repair and accelerated healing of injuries
- Reduction of inflammation and swelling in muscles and joints
- Improved circulation and oxygen delivery throughout the body
- Faster recovery from intense training sessions and games
The Phillies can use the NexGen Hyperbaric at home and on the road. What's particularly interesting about this program is that the Phillies won't need to be at Citizens Bank Park for players to receive treatment because with "NexGen’s cutting-edge mobile HBOT units, the Phillies can receive these treatments on-site at their training facilities or even during road trips."
This is the second major announcement that the Phillies have made regarding initiatives aimed to help players gain an edge at the margins in recent weeks. The Phillies partnered with BrainLit to install "BioCentric lighting technology" in the clubhouses both at Citizens Bank Park and BayCare Ballpark this spring.
