The much-acclaimed American television and movie actor, Jeremy Renner, who met with a near-fatal accident on January 1st, 2023, reportedly underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) during his recovery phase. The actor who stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including The Avengers, essaying the role of Clint Barton, alias Hawkeye, revealed on his Instagram story that he undergoes treatment inside a hyperbaric chamber twice each day.
“Hyperbaric chamber, 2-atmosphere pressure, High oxygen 2x daily”, Renner, the 52-year-old multiple Academy Award nominee, wrote on his photograph before sharing it on his social media story.
What is a Hyperbaric Chamber?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-invasive medical treatment that involves breathing 100% pure oxygen inside a specialized chamber known as a hyperbaric chamber. The air pressure or atmospheric pressure (ATM) is raised inside the chamber so that the oxygen supplied penetrates directly into the blood plasma and reaches the remote blood tissues. Since oxygen is the super element that is so vital to regenerate cells and tissues, wherever it reaches the cells start to rejuvenate, reform, and regenerate. Thus, this form of treatment has proven to be a vital ancillary to the way of recovery for many patients.
It is common knowledge that the body tissues in humans require oxygen to function. The oxygen content in the atmosphere is around 21%. In other words, we get only around 1/5th of oxygen from the air we breathe. Breathing inside a hyperbaric chamber lets patients breathe 100% oxygen.
Inside the chamber, the atmospheric pressure is raised to a level of about twice or thrice the normal air pressure. This helps the lungs to accumulate more air and oxygen. The oxygen then travels through the bloodstream and tissues and the excess supply of oxygen speeds recovery and aids the body’s healing system.
How Did Jeremy Suffer Multiple Injuries?
Reportedly on January 1st of this year, Jeremy Renner noticed that a family member’s car was deep inside 3 feet of snow. It is when The Hurt Locker star decided to help his family member and went inside his house to fetch his 14000 lb PistonBully – a snowplow or snow groomer used to clean, groom, or manipulate heavy chunks of snow.
When he managed to remove the snow and successfully tow the vehicle out of the chunk, he got down from his PistonBully and started to have a conversation with his family member. It was during this time that the snowplow started to roll on its own. In an attempt to get back to the driver’s seat of his PistonBully and take control of the heavy snow-lifting equipment, Jeremy was run over by the snowplow.
The local authorities reported that only Mr. Renner was injured in this mishap. He was immediately taken to the hospital where it was reported that The Bourne Legacy star had suffered multiple injuries, including blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. Trying to stop the rolling seven-tonner snow groomer, Jeremy suffered from more than 30 broken bones, requiring multiple surgeries.
How HBOT Helps in Recovery?
The blunt chest trauma, which is caused by heavy falls from motor vehicles or a height, may result in many injuries including pulmonary injuries requiring immediate medical attention, surgeries, and breathing assistance.
The road to recovery from multiple injuries is always challenging. However, hyperbaric chambers must have assisted Jeremy Renner to a great extent.
In any injury, the immediate and internal reaction system takes over instantly, causing swelling in the injury spot. Due to the injury, many ligaments and tissues get torn or broken apart, disrupting the blood supply and oxygen.
Since the blood supply is considerably blocked to the site or location where the injury has taken place, the flow of pure, fresh oxygenated blood is denied entry into the fracture site. Apart from that, the stale, impure, and carbonated blood remains stagnated around the site, causing the area to swell more.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment, or HBOT, aims at increasing the oxygen supply. Consequently, when oxygen is supplied to the fracture site or the location where the bones have broken apart, it starts to repair the damaged ligaments and tissues around. It invariably results in the restoration of the blood supply, and freshly oxygenated blood cells can now reach the fracture site. Also, the veins get repaired, and the impure blood gets removed, reducing swelling and inflammation significantly.
Bacteria at the location of internal injury thrive in an atmosphere where oxygen is scarce. Since a hyperbaric chamber creates an environment to receive 100% pure oxygen, the flow of excess oxygen helps block the reactions from harmful bacteria, further strengthening the body’s immune system. Oxygen also gives the brain neurotransmitters new life and helps to manage pain better.
Jeremy’s Road To Recovery
Jeremy’s miraculous recovery after the snowplow accident was not easy. The more than six-month-long recovery was laden with a lot of best wishes and prayers from loved ones, family, friends, and, of course, his fans.
The Academy Award nominee for both, “Best Actor” and “Best Supporting Actor”, reciprocated the love and support by regularly posting on social media about his journey to recovery. And his Instagram story, where he posted about receiving hyperbaric treatments through hyperbaric chambers twice daily, confirmed his steady progress.
