If you've searched for hyperbaric therapy in North County San Diego, you've seen the phrase "medical grade" everywhere — often attached to inflatable soft chambers in wellness lounges. Here's what the term actually means, and why it matters for your outcome.
Pressure is the therapy
The clinical evidence behind HBOT — wound closure, radiation injury recovery, graft salvage — was built at treatment pressures of 2.0 to 2.4 atmospheres absolute (ATA) breathing 100% medical oxygen. Soft-sided chambers are limited to roughly 1.3 ATA on compressed air. That is not a smaller dose of the same therapy; it is a different product.
Supervision is the standard
In a clinical facility, every session is monitored by trained technicians, with physician oversight and protocols matched to your diagnosis. That's what allows insurance and Medicare to cover treatment — and what keeps it safe at true therapeutic pressure.
When you compare providers, ask two questions: What pressure will I be treated at? and Who is supervising my session? The answers tell you everything.
