The mild hyperbaric chamber at Spinal Fitness Health and Wellness Center in Kennewick, WA is a soft-sided chamber that pressurizes to 1.3 ATA, with an oxygen concentrator supplying enriched air through a nasal cannula. A booked session is 90 minutes for $100, and a membership session is 1 hour. Members hold 24/7 facility access through a door code issued once their training is complete, and every Thursday between 2 and 6 PM the center is open to new visitors for a free session.
What 1.3 ATA means in numbers
ATA stands for atmospheres absolute. Air pressure at sea level is 1 ATA, about 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi). At 1.3 ATA the air inside the chamber is about 19.1 psi absolute, roughly 4.4 psi above the 1 ATA reference, a 30% increase in pressure.
Clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment delivered at higher pressures in hospital settings, under physician supervision, for specific medical indications. The sessions at this center are different: a soft-sided chamber at a mild 1.3 ATA, used with an oxygen concentrator, offered as a wellness service.
Step 1: screening and orientation
Every guest completes a health questionnaire and an equipment orientation before the first session, following the manufacturer’s screening guidance. Situations that call for clearance from your healthcare provider before a session include pregnancy, certain lung or ear conditions, recent ear surgery, and an implanted medical device. Ear-equalization techniques for the pressure change are reviewed at orientation.
Step 2: what to wear and what to bring
You stay fully clothed for the whole session, and cotton clothing is the best choice. Shoes come off before you enter the 1.3 ATA chamber. No electronics go inside the chamber, so a phone stays outside; the standing suggestion is to bring a book to read during the 60 or 90 minutes.
Step 3: lying down and the cannula
Each session is held in a private setting, by appointment. You lie down on a grounded mat inside the chamber and wear a nasal cannula, which carries the enriched air from the oxygen concentrator. The cannula is the only item attached to you during the session.
Step 4: pressurization and the ears
The chamber pressurizes gradually from 1 ATA to 1.3 ATA. As air pressure rises, the ears register the change, and you equalize them at your own pace using the techniques reviewed at orientation. The gradual pressure rise is built into the session time, so the 90-minute booking includes it.
Step 5: the time at 1.3 ATA
Once the chamber holds at 1.3 ATA, you rest on the grounded mat and breathe the concentrator air through the cannula. Members commonly nap, meditate, read or rest during this part of the session. You can depressurize the chamber and exit at any time during the session.
Step 6: depressurization
At the end of the session the chamber depressurizes gradually back to 1 ATA, and the ears equalize again during the pressure drop. The 90-minute booked session includes both the pressurization at the start and the depressurization at the end.
Pricing and membership allowances
Hyperbaric sessions are sold as 90-minute bookings: 1 session is $100, 6 sessions are $525 ($87.50 each), and monthly unlimited is $700, which allows up to 1 session per calendar day. Membership sessions run 1 hour. Monthly members of the center receive 1 hyperbaric session per month, and annual members receive 4 per month. The $300 monthly unlimited package for the 7 Wave light panel also includes 1 90-minute hyperbaric session each month.
Access after training
Members who have completed their training run their own hyperbaric sessions. The chamber room has its own coded keypad for trained members. Training has to be completed before a door code is issued; there is no same-day access on a first visit.
Booking a session in Kennewick
Spinal Fitness Health and Wellness Center is at 214 E. Albany Ave, Building E101, Kennewick, WA 99336, serving Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton City and Walla Walla. Call or text 509-670-9713 to book a 90-minute session, evenings and weekends included. Members use their door code for 24/7 access once training is finished. New visitors can come in on any Thursday from 2 PM to 6 PM and enjoy a free session of BioCharger NG, the 7 Wave light panel, Brown’s Gas, PEMF and the hot sauna exercise room; hyperbaric sessions are booked by appointment.
Who you are booking with
Eileen Durfee founded the center and has worked in the health field since 2010. She is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and the inventor of the Spinal Fitness system; Spinal Fitness evaluations ($150) and training sessions ($50) are booked with her. The center’s published figures are 300 clients, 2,000+ sessions completed, 15+ years of experience and 10+ therapies offered.
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This article is for educational purposes only. A mild hyperbaric session is a wellness service for general well-being; diagnosis and treatment of any disease belong with a licensed medical provider, and individual experiences vary. Spinal Fitness Health and Wellness Center is a wellness facility; please consult your own licensed provider regarding any medical question.
