Ozone Therapy

What is the Ozone Therapy?

Ozone therapy involves using ozone to trigger stimuli of various intensity in the body in order to subsequently generate a stimulus response (a reaction to a specific stimulus) and in this way to activate the immune system and other control systems. About 50 ml of blood is taken from the vein into a vacuum flask and bubbled with the required amount of ozone. The mixture is then immediately re-injected as a blood transfusion into the vein. In order to be able to respond to this stimulus at all, the body must have the required regulation capabilities and energy reserves. The success of ozone therapy thus depends essentially on the patient’s energy status and his or her body’s regulatory capability. If insufficient energy reserves are available to react to the stimulus, the entire system may become quickly overwhelmed.

Before a therapist conducts ozone therapy, he or she should have had an accurate picture of the patient’s regulatory capabilities and energy reserves.

There are different types of ozone therapy:

  • Major autohaemotherapy
  • Minor autohaemotherapy
  • External treatment
  • Rectal ozone administration (intestinal insufflation)
  • Injections in joints
  • Infiltration
  • Ozone puncture

The concentration of ozone used depends on the type of application, the patient’s symptoms and general condition. The concentration lies between 1 and 100 μg / ml (0.05-5% O3).

What is ozone?

Ozone is a chemical compound consisting of three oxygen atoms. While atmospheric oxygen consists of two oxygen atoms (O2) and tends to be inert, ozone with its three oxygen atoms is a highly reactive gas which reacts quickly with other molecules. This stimulus (reactiveness) is what gives ozone its therapeutic effect.

Principle and types of ozone therapy

Major autohaemotherapy: Approximately 50 ml of venous blood are removed into a vacuum flask and bubbled with the required amount of ozone. The mixture is then immediately re-administered as an autologous transfusion.

Minor autohaemotherapy: 5-10 ml of venous blood are mixed with ozone and injected into the muscle

External treatment: Fumigation of the skin, ozone water, ozonized olive oil

Rectal ozone administration: A small amount of ozone is administered into the intestine via a thin, soft plastic catheter

Injections in joints: Under sterile conditions, the required amount of ozone is injected through an extremely thin cannula into the joint to be treated

Infiltration: Small amounts of ozone gas are infiltrated into tensed muscle, tendon tissue or trigger points using a thin cannula

Ozone puncture: Injection of acupuncture points with ozone

Fields of application for ozone therapy

Ozone has a strong bactericidal and fungicidal effect and therefore a wide range of applications:

  • Disinfection of wounds
  • Poorly healing wounds
  • Inflammatory processes, such as leg ulcers (ulcus cruris) or inflammatory bowel disease (colitis, proctitis)
  • Burns
  • Bacterial and virus-related diseases
  • Fungal infections
  • Circulatory disorders
  • Revitalization
  • Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, lipid metabolism disorders, gout
  • Rheumatic diseases

Disadvantages of ozone therapy

Ozone therapy should only be performed by experienced, highly qualified therapists who are aware of the potential risks. The therapy cannot be self-applied at home.

Ozone therapy should not be carried out in cases of:

  • Coagulation disorders and bleeding tendency
  • Recent stroke or heart attack
  • Overactive thyroid gland
  • Ozone allergy
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Pregnancy

Author’s note:

This type of therapy is a powerful stimulant therapy intended to trigger a strong stimulus in the body through an increased formation of free radicals (also called oxygen radicals) in the blood. There is no doubt that ozone therapy has achieved good results in patients with specific symptoms such as circulatory disorders, immune system disorders, wound healing disorders, etc. However, the reactions produced are always forced reactions. If the treatment is too strong, or the energy level of the patient too low, it usually leads to violent reactions that can be very unpleasant for the patient. Before this therapy is performed, patients should have sufficient energy reserves to be able to respond effectively to the stimuli.

History of ozone therapy

The German physician Constantin Lender first used ozone in 1870 as a substance for inhalation. He found out that ozone was very reliable when it came to killing germs. This was followed by other extensive experiments at using ozone as a medical remedy. Various vehicles such as turpentine and olive oil or water were tried. Infections such as cholera, typhus, dysentery, boils, pain of all kinds, paralysis and other ailments were treated.

At the beginning of the 20th century, ozone was used to disinfect drinking water. In the First World War, the field doctor and surgeon A. Wolff used ozone to accelerate the healing of wounds.

From the 1930s on, a veritable wave of ozone therapy began in some European countries, significantly expanding the forms of application and the range of ailments and diseases treated. Ozone was used in many areas of medicine, whether as drinking cure, enema, spray or injection. After the Second World War, ozone therapy was widely forgotten until 1959, when the first patent for an ozone generator was granted. The device produced ozone blends for medical purposes. Since 1972, a medical society for ozone therapy has been active in Germany which cooperates with ozone societies in Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Currently, there are a variety of devices available for ozone therapy. Ozone inhalation, however, is no longer performed due to the damage and side effects it causes in the nasopharynx and bronchial area.