Ozone Therapy

What is the Ozone Therapy?

Ozone therapy is a therapy in which ozone is used to trigger stimuli of varying strengths in order to subsequently produce a stimulus response (reaction to this stimulus) and thus activate the immune system and other regulatory systems. About 50ml of blood is taken from the vein into a vacuum bottle and bubbled with the required amount of ozone. The mixture is then immediately re-injected into the vein as an autologous blood transfusion. In order to be able to react to this stimulus at all, the body must have the appropriate regulatory capabilities and energy reserves. The success of an ozone therapy thus depends essentially on the energy status of the patient and his or her ability to regulate. If there are not enough energy reserves available to react to this stimulus, the overall system can quickly become overwhelmed.

Before a therapist carries out an ozone therapy, he should have gained an exact picture of the patient’s regulatory capabilities and energy reserves!

There are different types of ozone therapy:

  • Large autologous blood treatment
  • Small autologous blood treatment
  • External treatment
  • Rectal ozone administration (intestinal insufflation)
  • Injections into joints
  • Infiltration
  • Ozone puncture

The ozone concentration depends on the type of application, the clinical picture and the general condition of the patient and ranges from 1 to 100 µg/ml (0.05-5% O3).

What is ozone?

Ozone is a chemical compound consisting of 3-oxygen atoms. While atmospheric oxygen consists of 2 oxygen atoms (O2) and is rather inert, ozone with its 3 oxygen atoms is a reactive gas that reacts quickly with other molecules. This stimulus (reactivity) accounts for the therapeutic effect of ozone.

Principle and types of ozone therapy

Large autologous blood treatment: About 50 ml of venous blood is taken into a vacuum bottle and bubbled with the required amount of ozone. The mixture is then immediately administered again as an autologous blood transfusion.

Small autologous blood treatment: 5-10 ml of venous blood is mixed with ozone and injected into the muscle.

External treatment: fumigation of the skin, ozone water, ozonated olive oil

Rectal ozone administration: a small amount of ozone is administered into the intestine through a thin and soft plastic catheterbreicht

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

Infiltration: Small amounts of ozone gas are infiltrated with a thin cannula into muscle tension, into enveloping tissue of tendons or trigger points.

Ozone puncture: Injection of acupuncture points with ozone.

Areas of application of 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 open legs (ulcus cruris) or inflammatory bowel diseases (colitis, proctitis)
  • Burns
  • Bacterial and viral diseases
  • Fungal infections
  • Circulatory disorders
  • Revitalisation
  • Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, lipometabolic disorders, gout
  • Rheumatic diseases

Disadvantages of ozone therapy

Ozone therapy belongs in the hands of experienced and well-trained therapists who are aware of the possible risks. The therapy cannot be performed at home as self-application.

Ozone therapy should not be carried out in the case of:

  • Coagulation disorders and bleeding tendency
  • Recent stroke or heart attack
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Ozone allergy
  • Alcohol abuse
  • During pregnancy

Critical notes on ozone therapy:

This type of therapy is a strong stimulus therapy with the idea of triggering a strong stimulus in the body through an increased formation of free radicals (also called oxygen radicals) in the blood. Undoubtedly, ozone therapy has also achieved good results with specific symptoms such as circulatory disorders, immune system disorders, disorders of wound healing, etc.. However, reactions are always forced. If the therapy stimulus is too strong or the patient’s energy level is too low, there are usually violent reactions that can be very unpleasant for the patient. Before this therapy is carried out, the patient should have sufficient energy reserves to be able to react effectively to the stimuli.

History of ozone therapy

The German doctor Constantin Lender first used ozone as a means of inhalation around 1870. He found out that ozone kills germs very reliably. Further extensive experiments followed in order to be able to use ozone as a medicine. Various carrier substances such as turpentine and olive oil or water were tried. Infections such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, boils, pains of all kinds, paralysis and other ailments were treated.

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

From the 1930s onwards, a veritable wave of ozone therapy began in some European countries, which significantly expanded the forms of application and the use for ailments and diseases. Ozone was used in many areas of medicine, whether as a drinking cure, enema, spray or injection. After the Second World War, ozone therapy was somewhat forgotten until 1959, when the first patent was granted for an ozone device. The device produced ozone mixtures 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 for ozone therapy. However, because of the damage and side effects in the nasopharynx and bronchial area, the inhalation of ozone is no longer carried out.