A Case of Hyperbaric Therapy Interrupted Due To Ear Pain during Pressurization and Sudden Drop in Muscle Oxygen Saturation in Inactive Muscles

During a session of hyperbaric environmental therapy at the Fukuoka University Faculty of Sports and Health Science Clinic, a student athlete experienced ear pain upon chamber pressurization, leading to interruption of the therapy approximately 5 minutes after reaching 1.3 atmospheres.The interruption was due to pain in the ear and onset of mental anxiety.Throughout the incident, the student athlete maintained a supine position in the chamber and refrained from engaging in any limb or trunk muscle activities.A near-infrared spectrometer was attached to the student's right forearm, enabling continuous monitoring of local muscle oxygenation by the therapist via wireless connection.Within approximately 5 minutes of chamber pressurization, muscle oxygen saturation was observed in the forearm flexor muscle group, registering a significant decrease by approximately 16.4 % compared to resting levels.Analysis of oxygen dynamics, indicating rapid decline in oxygenated hemoglobin and concurrent increase in deoxygenated hemoglobin within the forearm flexor muscles over a brief period of time, led to the inference that intramuscular vascular occlusion had occurred, resulting in impaired blood supply.Despite the mild hyperbaric environment of the chamber, the combined factors of ear pain and heightened psychological distress may have contributed to an exaggerated activation of the sympathetic nervous system.