​OXYGEN AND OZONE THERAPY

Oxygen-ozone therapy involves the use of a mixture of oxygen (O₂) and ozone (O₃) for therapeutic purposes. Ozone – the triatomic form of oxygen – is produced at the time of administration using a machine fitted with an electrode capable of generating an appropriate electrical discharge.

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As ozone is a highly unstable gas, in order to be used in medicine at the correct doses, it must be produced at the time of use and cannot be stored or transported. For this reason, ready-made vials of ozone are not available on the market. All this necessitates the use of extremely precise equipment (medical devices complying with CE standards) fitted with measuring instruments that continuously monitor the concentration.

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The mixture of oxygen and ozone exerts its various effects depending on different concentrations, which are determined on the basis of the condition being treated. There are various techniques for administering ozone, which can be divided into two main groups: local and systemic treatments.

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Treatments that act systemically – that is, throughout the body – include the intravenous, insufflation and intramuscular routes. The intravenous route involves drawing approximately 100 cc of blood from the patient, which is mixed with the oxygen-ozone mixture and immediately re-infused into the same patient. The insufflation route involves administering the mixture through a natural orifice. The systemic effect via the intramuscular route, on the other hand, is achieved by taking a small blood sample (approximately 10 cc) which is mixed with oxygen-ozone and administered via an intramuscular injection, usually into the buttock.

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The local technique involves the administration of oxygen-ozone via intradiscal, intramuscular, subcutaneous, peri-tendinous, intra- and peri-articular routes, and via sachets or ozonobags.

Oxygen-ozone therapy, thanks to its well-known anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects, as well as its ability to improve peripheral circulation and stimulate the immune system, has been the subject of hundreds of scientific studies and is used in numerous medical specialities.