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THE MEDICAL USE OF OZONE

by Frank Shallenberger, MD, HMD

What is ozone?

Oxygen is normally present in the air as a pair of oxygen atoms, called 02, because this is the most stable way for oxygen atoms to exist. Single oxygen atoms do exist, but they are so chemically unstable that they will quickly find another free oxygen atom to pair up with. Ozone is a bluish tinged gas (it's what makes the sky blue), which is composed of three oxygen atoms, called O3. The addition of the third oxygen atom makes ozone a relatively unstable molecule. It is precisely this unstable or reactive quality of ozone that gives it all of it's remarkable medical properties. It can accurately be thought of as "supercharged oxygen."

Ozone is so supercharged that in certain situations it can actually be explosive, but fortunately these concentrations are not even remotely reached when it is used medically. Because it is an unstable form of oxygen, it will very quickly be converted back to the stable form of 02. This transformation can happen within minutes, and that is why when ozone is used in medicine, it must be freshly made up and then used immediately.

Ozone is made by passing medical grade oxygen gas (02) through a chamber that breaks up the 02 molecules into single oxygen molecules, which then quickly reassemble into 02 and also 03. This is the same principle by which the action of lightning can generate the familiar sweet smell of ozone during a thunderstorm. The ozone layer which surrounds our planet is similarly created by the action of ultraviolet radiation from the sun which, like the lightening, causes the breakup of oxygen some of which ultimately reforms into ozone. It is said that the ozone layer protects us from ultraviolet radiation, but actually this is not accurate. In fact, it is the oxygen layer that protects us from ultraviolet, and in the process ozone is formed. The reason that we have a deficiency of ozone on the planet, called "ozone holes", is because there is a deficiency of oxygen!

Ozone, it's toxic isn't it?

Anything, including water and oxygen, is toxic if given in amounts that exceed the body's capacity to utilize it. Pure medical grade ozone, when it is used according to proper medical guidelines has a safety record that is unparalleled. One must be sure not to confuse the atmospheric generation of ozone that is associated with smog with ozone that is used medically. Let me explain this difference.

When the ultraviolet radiation from the sun interacts with the oxygen and the hydrocarbon pollution found in smog, ozone is formed along with various hydrocarbon and nitric acids and oxides. Thus, amount of ozone in the air correlates well with the degree of nitric and oxide hydrocarbon contamination that is present. It is these acids and oxides which are so toxic to our systems which form the basis for smog. Since ozone concentration can be easily and accurately measured with inexpensive equipment, whereas measurement of the actual degree of hydrocarbon pollution is a much more difficult and more costly endeavor, the amount of ozone in the air is frequently used to assess the level of hydrocarbon pollution. This is reflected when the newspaper states that "persons with pulmonary diseases should not go outside today because the ozone levels are too high."

Unfortunately, this has lead many people, even some doctors and scientists who should know better, to believe that it is the ozone in the air which is causing the toxicity associated with air pollution. Nothing could be further from the truth. The irritation of the lungs and sinuses that is caused by smog is strictly due to the hydrocarbon pollutants, not ozone. The only reason that ozone is being measured is because its concentration correlates well with the presence and degree of smog. In fact. ozone room air generators are commonly used therapeutically to improve the function of the lungs, as well as to decrease the negative effects of passive cigarette smoke and other forms of indoor air pollution in homes and work environments. These same ozone air purifiers are commonly used commercially in hotels to remove the smells of paints, solvents, and cigarette and cigar smoke. Russian scientists have even published studies on the use of inhaled ozone to treat pulmonary cancers.

The history of ozone therapy

Ozone was first discovered in the late 1800's. The first uses of ozone were technological, the most common usage being the purification of water. Today, major cities all around the world such as Los Angeles and Paris, use ozone to purify the drinking water. Ozone has the unique property that literally all microbes are susceptible to its oxidizing powers, without the development of any resistance whatsoever. Because of these remarkable antiseptic qualities, it was very successfully used to treat wound infections throughout the first world war. However, since ozone rapidly dissolves many materials such as rubber and metal, the practical use of ozone was somewhat limited until the development of plastics.

In the 1940's, the manufacture of plastic materials that were resistant to ozone marked the first time that the use of ozone became available for a variety of medical conditions. In the 1930's and the 1940's ozone was commonly used in most American hospitals, and even today, ozone is frequently used to disinfect the air of operating rooms. The wide spread use of ozone to treat various medical conditions was first developed in Germany in the early 1950's, and it was there that the use of this marvelous molecule was extensively evaluated.

Today, medical ozone therapy is common all throughout Europe, and its use has gradually been spreading in America over the last 15 years. The use of ozone in medicine is not illegal. It is perfectly legal for any licensed doctor to own an ozone generator, and to use ozone on his patients. The problems with the use of ozone lies with the state medical boards, whose duty it is to regulate the practice of medicine in each individual state. Except for those states which have enacted laws to ensure that patients have access to all medical therapies whether or not they are approved, ozone therapy is not usually permitted by state medical boards. Thus, physicians who use this treatment in states other than these may be at risk of losing their medical license if they use ozone therapy on their patients. As you can imagine, this has greatly deterred the use of ozone in the United States.

Medical properties of ozone

Ozone has four general properties which account for many clinical applications:

1. Ozone is a potent regulator of the immune system. This is to say that when the immune system is overactive as in auto-immune disease, ozone will down regulate it. Conversely, when the immune system is under active as in cancer, AIDS, and chronic infections, ozone will stimulate it. This unique ability of ozone stems from its action on the membranes of white cells which causes them to secrete messenger hormones called cytokines. Example of cytokines are the Interferons gamma and alpha, Interleukin-2, Colony Stimulating Factor, and Tumor Necrosis Factor just to name a few. Many of these cytokines have been commercially produced, and are currently being used in conventional clinical medicine to treat the diseases mentioned above. However, because they are used individually and not in concert with the complex mechanisms of the immune system, they can result in serious toxicity, which has dramatically reduced their clinical usefulness. However, ozone therapy, because it works in concert with the total function of the immune system, has the ability to initiate the release of these same cytokines without any of the problems seen with the much more expensive synthetic compounds.

2. Ozone stimulates increased uptake and utilization of oxygen. It does this by stimulating the formation of the enzymes diphosphoglycerate, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. Diphosphoglycerate enables the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin molecule so that it can be taken up into the cell. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase are used by the respiratory centers of the cell where the oxygen is processed for the release of energy. Virtually all persons with chronic disease have a significant deficiency of these enzymes. Ozone is the most potent inducer of these enzymes that has ever been discovered. Some studies have shown that after being treated with ozone, oxygen utilization can be improved as much as 30-40 percent in patients with various chronic conditions. Obviously, it is difficult to imagine the body fully recovering from any condition if the cells are not getting and utilizing optimum amounts of oxygen.

3. Ozone improves circulation. It does this by enhancing what is called the rheological properties of blood. This term refers to the flow characteristics of blood as a liquid. This effect enables more of the oxygen carrying hemoglobin to reach the capillaries where ultimately the cells will receive more of the oxygen they require. Many patients with chronic conditions, particularly those associated with inflammation, have severe compromise to circulatory flow associated with abnormal rheological characteristics.

4. Ozone is anti-inflammatory. Most diseases are accompanied with a significant degree of inflammation, and many of the symptoms of these diseases are secondary to this inflammation. This is one of the major ways that ozone treatments help patients with auto-immune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid.

How is ozone used medically?

Ozone therapy should only be used by professionals who have been fully trained in its use. Doctors who want such training can receive it from Dr. Shallenberger, who regularly offers training sessions in the United States and internationally. Without adequate training on the medical use of ozone, patients may not receive the treatment in a way that will maximize it's efficacy, and may even be exposing themselves to danger. The only contra-indications to ozone therapy are acute alcohol withdrawal, pregnancy, thyrotoxicosis, and acute heart attack.

Ozone treatments can be used in a variety of ways depending on the individual clinical situation. Dosages, methods of administration, and treatment intervals are important considerations in order to obtain the greatest benefit. I will briefly discuss the three most commons ways it is administered: Major-autotherapy, intestinal insufflation, and topical exposure.

Major autotherapy

This is the most common, and in most cases the most effective way ozone is administered. The patient sits in a chair and has from 6-12 ounces of blood removed into a bottle exactly like what happens when one donates blood. As this is happening the patient is administered heparin, a natural medication that thins the blood, and in so doing eliminates the chance of the blood clotting while it is out of the body. After the required amount of blood is removed, the correct amount of ozone gas in injected into the bottle with the blood, and the bottle is then gently shaken, allowing the red blood cells to take up all the ozone. The bottle is then turned upside down, and the ozonated blood is returned to the body. The entire procedure takes about 30-40 minutes. Obviously in order to use this therapy one must have veins that are adequate to the task.

Intestinal insufflation

This is the easiest and most economical way to administer ozone. It also has some advantages over major-autotherapy when it comes to treating intestinal and liver diseases. Quite simply, a special bag is filled with 12-16 ounces of ozone gas, and this gas is then introduced into the intestines just like an enema. Unlike an enema however, the gas is retained and absorbed rather than expelled. Patients usually come to the clinic to get the bag filled with the ozone (remember it has to be freshly made up), and then go home to administer it. Some patients elect to purchase their own ozone generator so that they can give themselves the treatments without having to come to the clinic. This has a definite advantage to patients who live a distance from the clinic. Also, we have some generators that we will loan out for this purpose. A generator for home use costs about $2500. We rent generators for $300 per month.

Topical exposure

This treatment is used in situations where there is a difficult skin condition such as a chronic infection or a wound that refuses to heal. The affected limb is placed in a bag that contains a high concentration of ozone gas, and remains there for 20-30 minutes. These treatments are continued until the condition is cleared up.

Pain Management

One of the most clinically useful aspects of ozone therapy is in the management of chronic pain. Whether the pain is from old injuries or from systemic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, injections of ozone into the painful areas can completely eliminate the problem. Ozone can do this because of its properties of increasing circulation and stimulating ATP production (energy production) in injured cells. It is a decrease in ATP production that is the root cause of chronic pain.

Joint Reconstruction

Injecting ozone into injured or degenerated backs, hips, knees, shoulders, or necks is very rewarding. Ozone stimulates the cells called fibroblasts and chondroblasts to lay down more collagen and cartilage, and in this way actually heals damaged joints and ligaments. Many patients who were told “you need a total knee or hip replacement”, are still out running around years later after a series of ozone injections into the joint.

Other

Ozone therapy is also useful for allergies, sinusitis, ear infections, and dental infections. I have saved many teeth from extraction or the need for a root canal using ozone injections. They are easy to do and work about 98% of the time.

Is ozone therapy for me?

This is a decision for a doctor who is trained and experienced with the medical use of ozone. Some conditions simply will not clear up unless ozone is used, and of course many conditions will clear up without ozone. Ozone because of its many therapeutic properties can be used as part of a therapeutic plan for almost every disease. It is invaluable in the treatment of metastasized cancer, progressed AIDS, auto-immune diseases, and chronic infections such as hepatitis. It is also very helpful in chronic fatigue syndrome. It is important to realize that ozone therapy is not a panacea or some kind of magic bullet, and although it is an indispensable modality, it is only rarely effective by itself. In the great majority of cases it must be combined in an individualized program with other alternative and natural therapies, such as nutrition and detoxification.