Ozone is a form of oxygen that displays anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and fungicidal action when it is mixed with medical grade oxygen in a carefully controlled medical environment. This makes ozone a treatment of choice for certain conditions such as spinal pain and arthritis and as and adjunct treatment for others.
Although ozone’s medicinal effects were discovered in the 19th century and used for wound treatment during World War I, equipment that was capable of reliably delivering pure oxygen-ozone mixtures was not available until the late 1950s. Since then, medical ozone has been used in a variety of methods to treat humans and animals.
What is ozone therapy? It involves mixing small and carefully controlled amounts of ozone and medical grade oxygen and then introducing the mixture into the body by various means. It has proven effective in treating chronic bacterial and viral infections that don’t respond well to conventional antibiotic treatments. It is also in widespread use for the treatment of musculoskeletal and spinal disc conditions.
The result – a powerful oxidant, ozone delivers a ‘shock’ to the body. This activates the antioxidant systems, causing the release of cytokines and other immune stimulating factors that lead to healing.
Key Benefits of Ozone Therapy:
- Helps heal –
- Conditions that don’t respond to conventional medicine.
- Chronic infections.
- Painful ligaments and joints.
- Stimulates the body’s own healing mechanisms.
- Relieves pain.
- Treats intervertebral disc protrusions and herniations non-surgically.
Intra-muscular injection in the areas of disc protrusions and lax ligaments. Epidural and intradiscal injections for disc protrusions and sciatica
- Arthritis, rheumatism, and other joint diseasesIntra-articular (joint) injection
- Herpes, and arthritisAuto hemotherapy (AHT). A small amount of the patient’s blood is removed and treated with a mixture of ozone and oxygen, and then re-injected or re-infused into the patient.
- Slow-healing wounds, burns, skin ulcers, gangrene, and some skin infectionsOzone bagging. A mixture of ozone and oxygen is pumped into an airtight bag surrounding the area to be treated. The mixture is absorbed into body tissues through the skin. Olive oil specially treated with ozone is also prescribed for home use
- Macular degenerationRepeated treatments with AHT
- Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s DiseaseRectal insufflation. A mixture of ozone and oxygen is introduced into the rectum and absorbed through the intestines. AHT is also used.
- Fungal infections, insect bites and stings, acne, and similar skin problemsOzonated oil. Ozone is bubbled through olive or sunflower oil to form a cream or salve that is applied to the affected area.
- Wounds, burns, and skin infections, or to treat the mouth following dental surgeryOzonated water. Ozone is bubbled through water, which is then used to cleanse or disinfect the affected area.
More about Ozone Therapy Articles:
Ozone in Medicine: Overview and Future Directions