Frequently asked questions

Most hyperbaric therapy means travelling to a clinic for short, scheduled appointments. Cocoon installs a chamber in your own home, so you have convenient daily access across your programme — no travel, no waiting rooms, and sessions that fit around your day. Every programme is also personally guided by Dr Gary Dennis, from your first conversation through to ongoing support.

Consistency. Many people who explore HBOT use it regularly over several weeks, and travelling to a clinic for each session can make that hard to keep up. Having the chamber at home removes the travel, scheduling and per-visit hassle, which makes it far easier to stay consistent with a programme.

A Cocoon programme is more than equipment. It begins with a personal consultation to understand your situation and whether HBOT is a sensible fit, a plan mapped out around your goals, delivery and setup in your home, and ongoing check-ins throughout — all guided by Dr Gary Dennis, who has a particular interest in neurological recovery and dysautonomia.

Many people who explore HBOT use it consistently over a period of weeks. Clinic-based treatment can involve travel, scheduling and per-session costs that make that hard to sustain. Cocoon's at-home model gives people daily access to HBOT in their own home, making consistency easier and more achievable.

We can't claim it as a treatment, and HBOT isn't a cure for concussion or post-concussion syndrome. Some people choose to explore it as one part of their wider recovery, alongside the care of their own medical team. Read more on our Concussion page.

For many people, HBOT is just one part of a broader routine that also includes rest, rehabilitation and the guidance of their own health professionals. If you're working with a rehab team, it's worth discussing it with them, and every Cocoon programme starts with a conversation to check whether it's appropriate.

We can't claim that, and HBOT isn't a cure. Long COVID and post-viral fatigue are managed by your doctor; some people choose to explore HBOT as one part of their wider recovery and wellbeing plan. Read more on our Long COVID & Post-Viral Fatigue page.

HBOT isn't a cure for chronic pain or fibromyalgia. Some people choose to explore it as part of a wider plan, alongside their own healthcare team. Read more on our Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia page.

HBOT isn't a cure or a shortcut, and it doesn't replace the care of your surgeon or medical team. Some people choose to explore it as one part of their wider recovery — and anything to do with recovering from surgery should be cleared with your surgeon first. Read more on our Surgery & Injury Recovery page.

HBOT is not a treatment for cancer — it doesn't treat, slow or cure cancer, and it doesn't influence cancer care. Some cancer treatments also don't mix safely with HBOT, so it should never be considered without your oncologist's guidance. Some people explore it only to support their general wellbeing during a demanding time. Read more on our Wellbeing During Cancer Treatment page.

HBOT isn't a cure for dysautonomia or POTS, which are diagnosed and managed by your clinicians. Because these conditions affect the autonomic nervous system, including cardiovascular symptoms, it's something to consider alongside your medical team. Some people choose to explore it as part of a wider plan. Read more on our Dysautonomia, POTS & Autonomic Dysfunction page.

That's mapped out with you based on your situation and goals. Because the chamber is in your home, many people use it daily across their programme — your specific plan is set after your consultation.

Sessions typically last around an hour. They're calm and unhurried — most people use the time to rest, read or simply switch off.

This is very individual, and we don't make promises. Everyone's situation is different — some people notice changes and others don't — and HBOT isn't a cure or a guaranteed outcome. We'd rather be honest about that up front than overstate what to expect.

That's okay — life happens. Because the chamber is in your home, it's easy to pick back up, and we stay in touch through your programme to help you keep a steady routine.

You rest inside the chamber while it's gently pressurised and you breathe oxygen-enriched air. You may notice a feeling of fullness in your ears as the pressure changes — similar to taking off in a plane — which settles quickly. Beyond that, most people find it relaxing.

No. We deliver, install and explain everything in your home, and you'll have direct access to our team for support, so you can use it with confidence.

HBOT is generally well tolerated, and your chamber is delivered, installed and explained by our team. That said, it isn't suitable for everyone, which is why every programme starts with a consultation to check whether it's appropriate for you.

HBOT isn't recommended for everyone — there are certain conditions and situations where it isn't appropriate. Rather than guess, we go through this with you in your initial consultation, and for some health conditions we'd want input from your own doctor or specialist first.

The most common is a feeling of pressure in the ears as the chamber pressurises, much like on a plane. HBOT isn't suitable for everyone, so we talk through your individual situation before you start to make sure anything relevant is considered.

When your chamber is installed, our team shows you exactly how to use it, and you'll have ongoing access to us throughout your programme with regular check-ins — so you're never left to work it out alone.

The six-week guided programme is $2,720 — around $65 a session with unlimited daily use across the programme. It's worth weighing that against per-session clinic pricing plus travel. We're happy to walk you through exactly what's included.

Your programme includes the chamber installed in your home, unlimited sessions across the programme, delivery and setup, and ongoing guidance and check-ins with our team. We'll confirm the full details with you before you start.

Not a lot — the chamber needs a reasonable, accessible space, and a spare room or quiet corner works for most people. We'll talk through the space you have when we set things up so it fits comfortably.

Our team delivers the chamber to your home, sets it up and shows you how to use it. There's nothing complicated for you to assemble or configure.

Because the chamber is installed in your home, others in your household can use it too — though, like anyone, each person would have their own conversation with us first to check that HBOT is appropriate for them, since it isn't suitable for everyone.

Because guidance matters more than equipment. Gary personally leads every programme from the first conversation onward, bringing a particular interest in neurological recovery and dysautonomia, so your plan is shaped around your situation rather than handed over as a piece of hardware.

Cocoon is led by Dr Gary Dennis (DC, MMC, Dip HBOT, NZCA), whose work spans complex and chronic health challenges with a special interest in neurological recovery and dysautonomia, alongside Dr Lorene Dennis, whose background is in neuro-developmental paediatrics. Every programme is guided personally rather than left to you to manage alone.

People tell us it comes down to a few things: the convenience and consistency of having HBOT at home, personal guidance from Gary throughout, and the honesty of the approach — if we don't think HBOT is the right fit for you, we'll say so.

That's completely normal, and there's no pressure. The best next step is a no-obligation conversation with our team about your situation — we'll give you an honest view of whether an at-home HBOT programme is a sensible fit, and if it isn't, we'll tell you. You can get in touch here.