A dry bath in carbon dioxide that acts through the skin.
When it comes to therapeutic gases, most people think of oxygen first. Carbon dioxide, CO₂ for short, is by contrast regarded as a mere waste product of breathing. That does not do it justice: the body needs CO₂ to control breathing, to regulate the width of the blood vessels and to release oxygen from the blood to the cells. Whole-body CO₂ therapy makes use of these properties. It requires no needle and no medication.
What is a CO₂ dry bath?
Carbonated baths have long been part of balneotherapy. In a dry bath the body does not lie in water but in an envelope of CO₂ gas. For this you wear a light full-body suit that seals at the neck. Your head remains free and you breathe the normal room air. The suit is filled with CO₂, and the gas passes through the skin into the tissue beneath.
How does CO₂ act in the body?
It makes it easier to release oxygen. The red blood pigment gives up oxygen more readily where a lot of CO₂ is present. Physiology calls this the Bohr effect. What matters, then, is not only how much oxygen is in the blood but also how well it reaches the tissue.
It widens the blood vessels. CO₂ dilates the small vessels of the skin and of the tissue beneath. Blood flow in the finest vessels, the microcirculation, increases. Many people feel this as a pleasant warmth during the session.
It has a calming effect. The session takes place lying down and at rest. The part of the nervous system that is responsible for recovery, the parasympathetic nervous system, gains the upper hand.
When do we use the therapy?
- Chronic fatigue
- Circulatory disorders
- ME/CFS (experimental)
Experimental means: the effect in ME/CFS has not yet been proven. CO₂ therapy does not replace an assessment or treatment of the causes. We use it as a supplement, as part of a functional medicine treatment plan. Whether the therapy is suitable for you is something we clarify in consultation.
What happens during a session?
A session lasts 45 minutes.
- You lie down on the treatment couch and slip into the suit.
- The suit is sealed at the neck and wrists and filled with CO₂ through a tube.
- You remain lying down, relaxed. Your head is free.
- The gas is then extracted and you take off the suit.
Costs
A session costs CHF 96. It is not a mandatory benefit under basic compulsory health insurance.