The Oxygen Works in Inverness began as an MS Therapy Centre opening in March 1992. In 2018 it rebranded as The Oxygen Works. Its main focus is supporting people with neurological conditions but the range of therapies delivered are also open to anyone with any long term condition. While it’s located in Inverness in the Highlands, people may attend from further afield.
I met with Leigh-Ann Little, the CEO of the charity and she talked to me about the ethos of the organisation and their commitment to creating and maintaining a community based wellbeing hub that is accessible and welcoming to all. The premises includes a café as well as the various therapy and fitness resources. She told me that users may spend most of a day in the centre, using facilities and relaxing in the café.
The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a key service offered at The Oxygen Works. It involves going into a chamber large enough for a small group of people to sit breathing oxygen rich air in a pressurised environment. The chamber takes ten minutes to reach optimum pressure, treatment lasts 50 minutes and then ten minutes to decompress. The chamber has portals so it’s possible to see out and staff can see in. It’s also able to accommodate wheelchairs though some powerchairs may be too wide for it, there are manual chairs available for people who can transfer.
You can read more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and see images of the chamber at The Oxygen Works in this article.
https://theoxygenworks.com/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-a-growing-landscape/
You may remember a previous newsletter featured Compass Edinburgh and discussed their Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber. Compass has now rebranded as The Neuro Therapy Place The Neuro Therapy Place | Neurological Oxygen Edinburgh. You can read that newsletter article about the Edinburgh Centre here:
Visit To Compass Edinburgh – Disability Information Scotland
Another core service offered by The Oxygen Works is physiotherapy rehabilitation. This is offered in collaboration with Move4ward physios whose innovative work on rehab has won them awards. There are a number of accessible exercise machines available on the premises, including the antigravity machine which can enable people to run or walk or simply stand, increasing strength in weakened or injured muscles and allowing disabled people easier access to movement and cardio exercise. There is also a small supervised gym with a range of accessible equipment which can be accessed by visitors to the centre.
The third key area of service is the complementary therapy provision delivered by independent practitioners. One treatment that I had not heard of before is Theraplate. This is a therapy involving standing on or resting feet on a plate which creates a vortex and feels gentler than a vibration plate. It’s a therapy that was developed primarily to treat racehorses and enable them to recover quickly from strain or injury. It developed a positive reputation in veterinary medicine and is beginning to be used to support human recovery. As a new technology there is little research in its use as a human treatment as yet but there are strong positive reports from users of The Oxygen Works.
You can find out about Theraplate and the other complementary therapies available here:
Complementary Therapy – The Oxygen Works
How much do therapies cost? Complementary therapies prices are set by individual practitioners but other therapies and services are heavily subsidised. However a donation is asked for and there’s a list of recommended donations for particular services. You can read that here:
Service & Pricing Guide 2026.pdf – Google Drive
Thanks to Leigh-Ann Little for taking the time to talk to me.
