Ozone is a powerful support for healing. It’s also extraordinarily versatile. While much is made of its antimicrobial qualities – giving it a role for treating infections – it’s also proven to be a terrific complementary therapy for treating other conditions, such as autoimmune disorders, injuries, and chronic pain.
One of the most common pain issues is osteoarthritis (OA), which itself is at the center of a couple of recent studies that illustrate ozone’s power to spur improvement.
The first of these was an animal study in which male lab rats underwent surgery to induce osteoarthritis in their right knees and sham surgery on their left knees. They were then randomly assigned to groups. One received ozone therapy; another, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. The third group received no treatment at all.
Treatments continued for 10 weeks. The degree of osteoarthritis was evaluated through microscopically examining the tissues to assign Mankin scores – a tool that evaluates 4 aspects of the condition, generating a score from 0 to 14. The higher the score, the more severe the condition.
The OA knees of the rats that received no treatment had a mean Mankin score of just over 8. Those that received hyperbaric oxygen therapy fared better, having a mean Mankin score just over 6.
And those that received ozone? Their mean score was under 5.
The results of the present study show that systemic medical O3 [ozone] application was more effective than HBO therapy and may reduce development of cartilage damage and prevent OA formation.
The second study involved humans with OA and likewise compared two therapies – in this case, ozone vs. low level laser therapy. For this single-blinded trial, 60 patients with knee OA took part, with half randomly assigned to one of the two therapies. Each patient’s pain and physical function scores were taken at the outset, as well as at a midpoint and after the last therapeutic treatment. Those in the laser group received 12 sessions of therapy, while those in the ozone group received a series of 6 injections at the affected knee joint(s).
Both groups of patients showed marked improvement in both their pain and function scores by the end of the treatment period – but there was more improvement among those who received ozone.
The study showed that both LLLT [low level laser therapy] and ozone are acceptable non-invasive methods in the non-surgical treatment of KOA [knee osteoarthritis]. Compared to LLLT, the ozone was more effective. These methods must be considered in any patient who is not suitable for surgical interventions or does not experience enough improvement in symptoms following long periods of common exercise training programs. [emphasis added]
Here at our integrative clinic in West LA, we offer a full range of ozone therapies, including high dose ozone, both as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for healing from specific conditions or simply to sustain optimal health. We also offer prolozone, which combines the power of ozone with that of neural and prolotherapy to provide quick and lasting relief from chronic pain.
You can learn much more about these and other options here. Or, if you have specific questions, just give our front desk a call at 310-268-8466. We’d be happy to speak with you about your needs and how we can help you address them.