Ozone therapy: broad uses in the treatment of pain

Ozone is a chemical compound formed from three oxygen atoms O3, a highly energetic triatomic variant of normal atmospheric oxygen (diatomic).

Ozone as a therapy

The ozone used in medicine is always a mixture of oxygen and the purest ozone, with a concentration of between 1 and 100 Μg/ ml (0.05 – 5% O3), depending on the application. The Pain Unit specialist will determine the dosage based on the patient’s condition.

Ozone has many properties. Among them, it is a potent bactericide, virucide and fungicide. Hence it is used to disinfect infected wounds, as well as bacteria or viral diseases. It is also used to stimulate circulation in circulatory problems. At low doses the body’s own resistance is mobilized and ozone reactivates the immune system. The application of ozone is very useful for immune activation in patients with an immune deficit. Small doses of ozone applied in the so-called “major autohemotherapy”, which is an external treatment of the patient’s blood prior to perfusion, activates the body’s antioxidants and radical scavengers.

Thus, the most common applications of ozone therapy are:

  • Infected wounds or poor wound healing.
  • Decreased immunity
  • Circulatory alterations
  • Coadjuvant therapy in cancer diseases.
  • Chronic inflammatory diseases: arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease or chronic pain.

How is ozone therapy applied?

There are 5 valid methods of application of ozone therapy:

  1. Autohemotherapy. It consists of treating the patient’s blood outside the body before perfusion. It is used in Geriatrics, to treat circulatory disorders and viral diseases, for revitalization and for general immuno. Between 50 and 100ml of blood is withdrawn from the patient in the normal way, enriching it outside with a defined amount of ozone. This reacts with specific substances that form the white and red blood cells and thus activates the metabolism of their vital activities. This active blood is immediately renewed in the patient’s system with a normal drip.
  2. Minor autohemotherapy, with an intramuscular application of O3. It is treated blood for non-specific immuno revitalization. Thus, it can be used for allergies or generally, to improve the body’s resistance.
  3. External treatment, which is performed with a closed system of O3 gas. The treated parts of the body must be previously moistened with water, since ozone cannot act on dry parts. It is a very effective method for treating sores, ulcers, open wounds, postoperative lesions, herpes, etc. Other forms of this application are ozonated with pure water (used in dental treatments) or ozonated with pure medical olive oil, for skin eruptions, fungus-related disorders or eczema.
  4. Rectal gas applications (medically called insufflation). The patient feels nothing, as the O3 is absorbed directly by the sensitive intestinal membranes. In addition, the tube is lubricated, which means that it is a totally hygienic method. It is a technique especially recommended in inflammatory diseases of the intestinal tract, but it is increasingly applied in general revitalization processes.
  5. Injection of ozone into the joints (intra-articular). Ozone is carefully injected into inflamed and painful joints, in cases of arthritis, recurrent osteoarthritis or general pathological stiffness. It is used by professional sportsmen and women. Ozone improves physical performance and shortens the regeneration phase.

In which diseases is ozone therapy applied?

There is a whole series of pathologies that can minimize their symptoms or be cured with ozone. When handled properly and responsibly it is a safe, practical, effective and low cost therapy. However, as with all medical treatments, there is no 100% guarantee that it will be totally useful. The success of the therapy may vary according to the patient’s state of health, the frequency of ozone doses, the concentration applied…

The most common diseases where ozone therapy is applied are:

  • Arterial circulatory disorders. The sensation of coldness in the legs or pain after walking short distances can be warning signs that make the application of ozone therapy appropriate. Ozone is applied as a complement, combining other traditional therapies.
  • Regeneration and revitalization. Stress or excessive physical and mental tension sometimes make the application of 03 necessary. It activates the metabolism of white and red blood cells and improves general well-being and revitalization. It is recommended for women and athletes, since ozone improves physical performance.
  • In elderly patients, as prevention and treatment. Elderly patients respond very well to ozone therapy. Ozone therapy means oxygen supply to tissues, mobilization of the immune system and activation of antioxidants and radical scavengers. In addition, it has a positive influence on cerebral circulatory disorders, which is characterized by a general reduction of physical performance, insecurity when walking and a feeling of vertigo. Although used in complementary medicine, ozone is also used as a preventive measure, contributing to an increase in the quality of life.
  • Ocular diseases. There are circulatory disorders that, due to age, also affect the eyes, with atrophic and degenerative changes. Thus, age-related macular degeneration occurs in the center of the retina (at the point of visual focus). Its consequences can affect the optic nerve to varying degrees, leading to atrophy of the optic nerve. The application of ozone, according to a clinical study carried out at the University of Siena, shows improvements in vision in 6-8 months. As an adjunct to treatment, it can produce improvement in visual performance, or prevent worsening.
  • Neoplastic disease. As a hemotransfusion, ozone can be applied as an additional biological therapy in cases of malignant diseases. The immunoactivation property of ozone occurs at low doses. Immune cells (such as lymphocytes) are activated by ozone-induced biological reactions to respond by producing proteins (cytokines). When ozonated blood is reintroduced, a cascade of positive immune reactions is compensated, contributing to the patient’s overall resistance and well-being.
  • Fungal diseases and infected skin lesions. Ozone has fungicidal and bactericidal properties, something that has been used for over 100 years in the treatment of drinking water. Hence, medical ozone is a therapeutic agent for persistent mold and fungus on the skin, especially on feet with bacterial infections, fungal infections on the trunk, or fungus on the mucous membranes.
  • Infected wounds. It is also useful in the treatment of infected wounds, open pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, diabetic gangrene or delayed healing processes, among other cases. Above all, it is used as a disinfectant, fungicide and bactericide, to obtain a germ-free wound.
  • Intestinal diseases: colitis and proctilis. The application of ozone in early stages of intestinal inflammatory processes has proven to be very useful. In most cases, a series of 10 applications is sufficient.
  • Viral diseases. Herpes simplex (facial herpes) and herpes zoster (shingles) are caused by a virus. The one on the lips is very recurrent and unpleasant, but it can be treated with ozone, combining other methods. In the case of herpes zoster, ozone can serve as a complementary therapy, both in the form of ozonized water and autohemotransfusions.
  • Inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases. Above all it can be used in phases 1 and 2 of inflammatory diseases, when it does not yet involve a significant deformation of the bone. Thus, it is applied in gonarthritis (inflammation of the knee) or in active forms of arthritis of the knee and shoulder. In such cases, intra-articular ozone injections, together with classic treatments, will be very useful, since ozone has immunomodulatory properties, as well as the ability to activate cartilage metabolism.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes painful skeletal or muscular diseases, which also lead to functional restrictions. Ozone can be considered here as a complementary measure, only in combination with physiotherapy. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (chronic polyarthritis) ozone autohemotherapy is a complementary therapy in the non-acute phases. The basic principles of action are its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.
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What should I as a patient know about ozone?

Before undergoing ozone therapy, the patient should inform the specialist about any medication or special diets that he/she is taking or has recently taken. In Spain, ozone therapy cannot always be performed in the public health system, or it is not always covered by insurance.

Most ozone applications are usually in series of up to 10 sessions and, if there is a second or third round, some indications may be necessary. Ozone therapy is low risk and is usually a complementary additive, accompanying conventional medical treatments.