Ozone: The Healing Power of Oxygen
Ozone: The Healing Power of Oxygen
Ozone therapies have become increasingly popular in the world of integrative healing. It upregulates healing mechanisms at a cellular level and is powerful, safe, and effective treatment for both chronic and acute conditions.Â
What is ozone?
It is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms hooked together as opposed to the oxygen we breathe which is just two oxygen atoms hooked together. The third oxygen in the group makes the molecule much more reactive, and when it is introduced into the body in one of its various forms it is able to induce several reactions that contribute to healing and regeneration.Â
What are the benefits?Â
- Increased immunity. Our immune systems have many different parts that must function in perfect balance for optimal health. If it is imbalanced in one direction we will be prone to poor resilience against viruses and illnesses. These are usually the people who get sick very easily, who complain that if anybody brings a virus into the house they are going to catch it. Poor immune function can contribute to the development of cancer. Imbalance in the other direction can cause other problems where the immune system is revved up and they are constantly the state of attack or inflammation. These conditions usually include autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, and chronic degenerative conditions. When your immune system is constantly on the attack your body isn’t given the chance to switch gears and heal.Â
- Prescription medications generally don’t have the ability to address this double-edged sword, and ozone therapy is one of the few treatments I have found that has the ability to improve the body’s ability to modulate the immune system. It boosts your ability to fight the bad guys such as viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells, while also causing a reaction in our cells that turns off the inflammatory response and allow you regenerate.Â
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Improved energy. We have these little parts of our cells called the mitochondria. If you have ever had the fun experience of making a cell replica for junior high biology class you might remember the mitochondria as the powerhouse of the cell. Well, it turns out that these little things are suuuper important. They make energy, or ATP. Now, ATP is the energy that fuels every single function in our bodies. Whether it is something as simple as blinking your eyes, or formulating a thought or something bigger such as running a race or giving a speech all of that is being fueled by ATP. Research is showing that many of the degenerative conditions of our day come down to a decrease in mitochondrial function. Signs that you might not be making enough ATP include fatigue, chronic muscle pains, brain fog, weight struggles, headaches and depression. Decreased mitochondrial function has also been associated with cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, kidney and liver failure, and the aging process in general. Ozone therapy can help “turn on” these dysfunctional mitochondria and help them start producing adequate ATP again.
- Improved blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues. The delivery of oxygen and nutrients take place in these teeny little vessels called capillaries. These vessels are actually so small that red blood cells have to pass through one at a time and they also have to do a little bit of squeezing and deforming to get through. When the red blood cells are rigid they can’t get through the capillary as well and they also can’t deliver oxygen and nutrients the way they need to. Another thing that happens with blood flow is that the red blood cells can start sticking together in what we call a rouleaux formation. When they are stuck together they are limited in their ability to deliver oxygen to the cells. Ozone actually changes the electrical charge of the blood cells so that they are less likely to stick together and it also gives the membrane more flexibility to squeeze through the capillary more effectively.Â
What are the different ways to administer ozone?
There are lots of different ways, but after years of experience with it I definitely have my favorites and have narrowed it downÂ
- Major autohemotherapy. This is a procedure where we draw out some of your blood and put in a bag of saline and then mix ozone in with it. We then let it drip back into you. Sometimes we will run the blood past an ultraviolet light, but this is not always necessary for efficacy. This process is fairly fast and usually takes 30-45 minutes from start to finish, depending on how healthy your veins are. This form of ozone treatment is my favorite simply because I see the best results. It is the best way to deliver it to the entire body, and I feel like my patients get the most bang for their buck with this treatment. It isn’t a one-treatment and you’re done sort of thing, though. I usually recommend that my patients start with a package of 5 or 10, done 1-2 times weekly to get the best jumpstart on the healing process.Â
- Prolozone. This is a procedure based on a combination of a vitamin solution followed by ozone injected directly into the area needing healing. This is very commonly used to help repair joints and muscles. We start by using a needle to inject the vitamin solution and then without removing the needle we replace the first syringe with one filled with ozone and then inject ozone into the exact same area. This combination of nutrients is powerful in its ability to trigger a healing response and decrease inflammation.Â
- Insufflation. This is where we injected ozone directly into the area that needs treatment. It can be injected into the ears for ear infections or congestion or into the nose for chronic sinus infections or nasal congestion. We also have special tubes to use for bladder, rectal, or vaginal treatments.Â