Introduction to Ozone Therapy

Ozone therapy has a colourful and at times controversial history, this includes its use to treat wounds during World War One when antibiotics were not yet available and trials of its use in the treatment of HIV infection in the 1980’s. Notably, there has been an increased interest in ozone therapy over the last two decades or so with some countries, like Germany, leading the way in its use. Medical ozone therapy has also spread in popularity in America with two major and credible advocates –

Dr Frank Shallenberger – View here

Drs Ozone – View here

From a holistic perspective, ozone’s use is based on the fact that toxins and pathogens in the body are normally destroyed by the process of oxidation. Oxidation breaks the toxins down into carbon dioxide and water and then eliminates them from the body. However, if the body is weak or deficient in oxygen, it cannot eliminate toxins adequately and a toxic reaction can occur. A toxic buildup can lead to fatigue, and a range of illnesses can present when poor oxygenation is chronic.

Applying oxygen, in its usual molecule form, into human tissues is not very reactive. When ozone is introduced to human tissues it starts an activated chain of reactions. Ozone is a potent circulatory booster, it stimulates enzymes that produce nitric oxide which promotes circulation to tissue beds. Ozone also stimulates oxygen haemoglobin dissociation. Haemoglobin draws in oxygen from the lungs and oxygen is very attracted to haemoglobin. At the capillary bed there needs to be a reaction for the haemoglobin to drop off the oxygen, ozone stimulates specific enzymes that displace and deliver oxygen.

Ozone therapy helps our internal biological processes work as they should. This self-balancing is also known as homeostasis. Unlike medications, ozone puts the body in the best possible position to heal itself without needing a stimulus that works by abruptly turning mechanisms on and off. This can lead to dependencies.

The reason we become ill is because we cannot make energy efficiently. We are only as good as our internal battery. Oxygen is an energy source and the miracle is that our cells can extract energy from the molecule to use in various ways, i.e., to stay alive and protect itself from germs. Close to half of our human cells consist of mitochondria. These structures are in charge of extracting energy from oxygen and distributing it to cells for use. As we get older, combined with the more harmful environmental factors we are exposed to (infections, stress, injuries, heavy metals, pesticides, toxic food, etc), the more our energy production becomes compromised. We may be breathing in lots of oxygen however this does not mean that our bodies are harnessing its energy and using it appropriately, therefore it can be wasted. If our mitochondria are not working sufficiently, oxygen is just sitting there. Type II diabetes is a classic disease of mitochondrial dysfunction. If oxygen is not getting processed, it goes into excess free radical production. Ozone is extremely good at stimulating mitochondria to maintain a youthful efficiency. When you’re 80 years old you want your mitochondria to function as if you were 30.

Ozone has the following additional actions: