The purpose of the present study was to investigate and
quantify the effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on neuropathic
pain. In an attempt to obtain a more complete understanding
two different nerve injury models were utilized: the chronic
constriction injury model of the sciatic nerve and the L5 spinal
nerve ligation model. It was hypothesized that HBO treatment
would significantly decrease pain as compared to control treated
animals. No research has been conducted examining the L5 model
and hyperbaric oxygen treatment, so it was difficult to hypothesize
that one model would respond better to HBO treatment than
another. However, literature indicates that the CCI model may
have a greater inflammatory component (Clatworthy et al., 1995),
thus it was hypothesized that the CCI model would respond better
to treatment.