#121: 💉 Ozone Therapy for Health and Healing
Understanding the Science, Benefits and Controversies
💬 In this note:
💉 Ozone Therapy for Health and Healing
📚 The Untethered Soul
⚡️ Men’s Thigh-High Boots
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#121: 💉 Ozone Therapy for Health and Healing
I first heard about ozone therapy when I read the book Scar Tissue, by Anthony Kiedis, the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2004.
While the book is a compelling life story about Keidis’ battles with drug addiction and the price of fame in the rock scene. The one thing my 16-year-old self remembers about his story is that used to get ozone therapy to give him energy to perform on stage and for its incredible healing properties.
I remember thinking - what is the ozone doing? Is it reversing all of that damage? Keeping his Hepatitis C at bay? How does it work? Does it work?
Now, two decades later, despite its adoption by celebrities, doctors and biochemists, the medical value of ozone is still a subject of debate.
What is Ozone Therapy?
Ozone therapy involves the administration of medical-grade ozone (O3), a molecule with three oxygen atoms, to treat various medical conditions.
The intent of ozone therapy is to increase the amount of oxygen in your body.
A higher oxygen level can boost your immune system, while promoting healing, through cell regeneration, the process of replacing or repairing damaged cells.
You can receive ozone though major autohemotherapy (administration by blood), minor autohemotherapy (intramuscular application), intra-articular injection, rectal administration, intra-discal application in spinal hernias, and application by bag therapy (indicated for infected wounds such as diabetic foot or chronic ulcer).
Ozone gas should not be inhaled because it can cause severe irritation and fluid buildup in your lungs.
Treatments take up to 30 minutes.
If ozone therapy is administered with your blood, the healthcare provider will draw blood from your body, mix it with ozone gas and inject the blood back into your body through an IV. IV therapy can carry the risk of causing an embolism through the formation of air bubbles.
Medical Applications and Benefits
Limited evidence suggests that ozone could offer health benefits such as immune system support, improved blood circulation, protection from bacteria, viruses and fungi and reducing oxidative stress.
The theoretical basis for these benefits is around ozone’s oxidative properties and the ability to stimulate oxygen metabolism, activate the immune system and demonstrate antimicrobial effects.
Research is ongoing to determine the safety and potential uses of ozone therapy as a treatment for conditions such as breathing disorders, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, immune disorders like HIV and AIDS, chronic pain and conditions involving musculoskeletal disorders like disk herniation or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ozone Therapy for Ageing
Some ozone clinics provide ozone therapy for those who want to improve their body’s response to ageing.
During these treatments, ozone helps wake up the body's natural defense system against ageing.
This leads to several good changes in your body that can last for weeks or months:
Your immune system gets stronger
You feel better overall
You sleep better at night
You have more energy for physical activities
For these anti-aging treatments, doctors often use a method where they take some of your blood, mix it with ozone, and put it back in your body. Usually, you need about 10-12 treatments over 6 weeks to see the best results.
Ozone Therapy for Pain
Ozone therapy helps reduce inflammation, swelling and pain in the body without the harmful effects that can come from common pain medications like steroids.
When ozone is used, it helps blood flow better in muscles and tendons, which quickly reduces pain, and this pain relief lasts over a longer period of time.
Due to these benefits, doctors use ozone therapy to treat many conditions like, fibromyalgia (pain throughout the body), headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, elbow inflammation, pulled or torn muscles and tendon problems.
To treat pain, doctors inject ozone into different parts of the body - under the skin, into joints, around joints, into muscles or between spinal discs.
These treatments are done in a doctor’s office and do not require a hospital stay.
Each treatment takes about 10-20 minutes.
Scientific Evidence
Research for ozone therapy shows mixed outcomes, though many results are promising.
A 2014 study looked at intravenous ozone therapy, injecting ozone mixed with blood, for treating COPD. It found that the therapy improved quality of life and ability to exercise in former smokers with COPD.
For diabetes and chronic pain, research from 2018 indicated that ozone may correct oxidative stress by activating the body’s immune and antioxidant systems.
According to a 2019 study, ozone therapy in people with diabetic foot ulcers helped close the wound and reduced the chances of infection.
A 2015 study also found that ozone therapy could be helpful for wound healing, a common side effect of diabetes.
Ozone therapy may have benefits for people with immune disorders because it appears to help stimulate the immune system.
A 2018 study found that ozone mixed with blood and injected into people with HIV significantly reduced their viral load over a 2-year period. A lower viral load means less of the virus is present, which can improve long-term health. The study noted that more research is needed on the use of ozone therapy for the treatment of HIV.
Research from 2018 indicated that ozone therapy may help with knee osteoarthritis by improving range of motion and delaying decline.
People with rheumatoid arthritis or back pain from herniated discs may also benefit from ozone therapy, according to the research. However, there aren’t enough studies on these conditions yet.
Supportive and Critical Perspectives
Some healthcare providers advocate for ozone therapy based on clinical expertise and observed patient outcomes along with the growing body of preliminary research and the historical use in various countries.
However mainstream medical organizations are skeptical due to insufficient high-quality clinical evidence. They are also concerned about potential risks to patients and unregulated practices.
Outlook
The future of ozone therapy will depend on ongoing clinical research, development of standardized protocols, clear regulatory oversight and safety measures as well as quality control in administration methods.
While ozone therapy shows promise in certain applications, the FDA has not approved ozone therapy, and it is not broadly approved as a standard medical treatment across the EU.
Some practitioners in the EU offer it, particularly in countries like Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Spain. It is considered a complementary or alternative therapy rather than a mainstream medical treatment.
📚 Book of the Week
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Rating: ★★★★☆
This is a book loaded with truth bombs that we all need to hear.
First truth bomb: You are not your thoughts or emotions
When he first discussed this, I thought, no way. How can I be…me….without my thoughts!? As he goes on to explain, he emphasizes that we are the observer of our mind, we are not the actual thoughts or emotions themselves. This is fundamental in Singer’s practice of letting go.
Much easier to let go of something that is not myself. Right?
The idea that we are not our thoughts helps to detach us from our mental chatter, especially if it is negative or filled with strong emotions.
Second truth bomb: Inner freedom is a choice.
This one resonated with me because I live with the mantra “Happiness is an inside job.” I’ve carried that one with me since reading it on a vase in a friend’s house in St. Tropez in 2021. It just hit hard.
Pick up the book for more insights and lessons. It’s a great first book if you are curious about learning more on spirituality.
I read his other book, The Surrender Experiment, first (BOTW in Nina’s Notes #67), and can see that I would have benefitted from reading the Untethered Soul first.
The idea of complete surrender was too foreign for me then. Had I been introduced to the idea of surrendering to the flow of life before reading The Surrender Experiment, the messages would have resonated more.
Untethered Soul explains surrendering to the flow of life rather than trying to control or resist what happens. Surrendering allows you to harmonize with life’s natural rhythm, reducing struggle and stress.
I now see this as trust that life will guide you.
This was a recommendation by three readers! Thanks Harry, Sammy and Teo for this recommendation!
⚡️ Check This Out
Men’s thigh-high boots hit the runway during the Saint Laurent men’s fashion show during Fashion Week in Paris.
Saint Laurent’s creative director says “I thought it would be interesting to see a woman’s sexy shoes on a guy.”
Most of the models managed a glam Studio 54 strut, but for some, the ultra-tall thigh-highs (these are much taller than the women’s version) did seem like fishing waders.
Nonetheless, I’m into it. (Is it just me?)
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