Ozone

Ozone is a relatively unstable molecule consisting of three Oxygen atoms, which exists naturally in the upper atmosphere where it blocks excessive ultraviolet light from reaching the surface of the earth. Nearer the surface of the Earth, it is produced naturally by lightning storms. Ozone is produced directly in the bloodstream by white blood cells to be used to kill various virus and bacterial invaders. It is used to purify water for drinking and to purify air. It has been used to sterilize surfaces due to its antibacterial effects.

Ozone has been used medically for over 40 years in Europe, primarily Germany and Italy. Studies support its use in over 5 million treatments to date. When dissolved into blood, it has been shown to induce the immune system to react more vigorously to attack and kill viruses and bacteria. It has proven to be very helpful for treating chronic wound infections and non-healing wounds, as it not only sterilizes the wound, but also supplies oxygen to poorly vascularized tissue, and also induces growth factors to stimulate healthy wound healing.

This capability of growth factor induction has led to its use for treating degenerative joints (arthritis) as a component of some solutions for Prolotherapy. Multiple studies (mostly in Europe but also more recently in the USA) have also documented its value in treating herniated disks and radiculopathy, by injecting ozone both into and around disks, and along the irritated nerves, using fluoroscopic guidance. It has also found a role in treating chronic myofascial pain, when coupled with trigger point injections of anesthetic/steroid solutions.

In the 1970's, some practitioners tried using quantities of Ozone gas directly injected intravenously, and this caused some injuries and deaths. That practice is no longer utilized. It also can be toxic in high concentration in the lungs, and thus it should not be breathed at these concentrations for long periods of time. With the current techniques used, Ozone has proven to be remarkably safe over the last 30 years. More research is needed to demonstrate by which mechanisms Ozone exerts its biological effects, but it has proven itself to be very useful in certain medical applications.