what is ozone?
what is ozone therapy?
in what disease is ozone therapy usually applied?
what should i know as a patient?
where can i obtain information?

what is ozone therapy?

ozone as a therapeutic
medical ozone is always a mixture of purest ozone and purest oxygen.
according to its application, the ozone concentration can vary between 1 and 100 µg/ml (0.05 – 5 % O3). the ozone therapist, a trained physician, determines the complete dosage according to the medical indication and the patient's condition.

properties and effect
medical ozone has highly pronounced bactericidal, fungicidal and virostatic properties, and is thus widely used in disinfecting infected wounds, as well as in bacterially and virally produced diseases.

its ability to stimulate the circulation is used in the treatment of circulatory disorders and makes it valuable in revitalizing organic functions.

when administered at low concentrations, the organisms own resistance is mobilized, i.e. ozone (re) activates the immune system.

as a response to this activation through ozone, the body's immune cells produce special messengers called cytokins (including important mediators such as interferones or interleukins).

these inform other immune cells, setting off a cascade of positive changes throughout the immune system, which is stimulated to resist diseases for example.
this means that the application of medical ozone is extremely useful for immune activation in patients with a low immune status and/or immune deficit.

small quantities of ozone applied consequently activate the body's own antioxidants and radical scavengers.
it is thus possible to understand why ozone is used in diseases, which involve chronic inflammation.

indications
thanks to its selective properties, medical ozone is used in three principal fields of indication:
the treatment of circulatory disorders, also in the field of geriatrics, and
the treatment of diseases produced by viruses such as liver diseases (hepatitis) and herpes.
the treatment of infected, badly healing wounds and inflammatory processes, such as for example:

open ulcers on the legs (ulcus cruris).
inflammatory intestinal conditions (colitis, proktitis).
burns, scalds and infected wounds, fungus infections and others.

as an additive or complementary therapy in various types of cancer, ozone is applied for general immunoactivation at low dosages in the form of "major autohemotherapy" (reinfusion) or "minor autohemotherapy" (reinjection) via the intramuscular route.

forms of application
note: in any form of ozone therapy, the breathing in of ozone gas is forbidden.

many decades of experience and a number of recent clinical studies have shown that the following five application methods are valid for ozone:

major autohemotherapy (treatment of the patient's blood outside the body before reinfusion) in geriatrics (age-related conditions), for revitalization, in the treatment of circulatory disorders and virus-produced diseases, and for general immunoactivation.

by this method, 50 to 100 ml of the patient's own blood is withdrawn in the normal manner, enriched externally with an exactly defined quantity of ozone (with disposable sterile material and containers!). the ozone reacts completely - i.e. at a rate of 100 % - with specific substances making up the red and white blood cells and thereby activates their vital activities = metabolism. it is this activated blood (not ozone or oxygen!) that is immediately reintroduced into the patient's system using a normal drip unit.

using the same principle, minor autohemotherapy is an application, via the intramuscular route, of O3 treated blood for unspecific immunoactivation revitalization: it can be used in allergic diseases or in a general way to improve the body's inherent resistance.

external treatment is primarily achieved through a closed system using O3 gas fed into special plastic “boots” (for the legs and feet) or bags, foils etc fitting various parts of the body. these are of course made of ozone-resistant materials. the parts of the body treated have previously been moistened with water, as ozone cannot act on dry areas. this method is highly effective in treating ulcers, sores, open wounds, postoperative lesions, shingles (herpes) and infected areas etc. other forms are ozonized pure water (e.g. in dental treatments) and ozonized pure medical olive oil (for skin eruptions such as eczemas and conditions involving molds, funguses and lichens etc).

O3 gas application via the rectal route is not as inconvenient or unpleasant as it sounds (medically, it is called insufflation). in fact, the patient feels absolutely nothing, as the O3 gas is directly absorbed by the sensitive intestinal membranes; in addition, the specially designed disposable tube is lubricated, which makes the method totally hygienic - and practical, as a patient can apply it himself/herself. this method is primarily indicated for inflammatory conditions of the intestinal tract, but is finding increasing use for general revitalization processes.

injection of ozone into the joints (i.e. via the intraarticular route) as the term implies, ozone is carefully injected - by a trained specialist - in the treatment of inflamed and painful joints (arthritis, recurrent arthrosis, general pathological stiffness). this is a must in many orthopedic practices.

what is ozone?
what is ozone therapy?
in what disease is ozone therapy usually applied?
what should i know as a patient?
where can i obtain information?