Ozone Therapy

There's no scientific evidence that ozone therapy helps any mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's disease. Learn more about ozone therapy.

Before engaging in any complementary medical technique, you should be aware that many of these techniques have not been evaluated in scientific studies. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about whether practitioners are required to be professionally licensed. If you plan to visit a practitioner, it is recommended that you choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who abides by the organization's standards. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before starting any new therapeutic technique.

• Background
• Theory
• Evidence

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• Unproven Uses
• Potential Dangers
• Summary
• Resources

Background

Ozone is present high in the earth's atmosphere and absorbs solar radiation. Ozone molecules are composed of three oxygen atoms.

Ozone therapy involves adding ozone to air or liquids and introducing them into the body by various means. It has been used to treat medical conditions since the late 19th century. However, there has been little scientific study of ozone therapy, and it is not known if it is safe or effective.

Theory

Ozone therapists suggest that ozone may have health benefits beyond that of oxygen.

Ozone may be mixed with water and taken by mouth or introduced into a body cavity such as the rectum or vagina. Autohemotherapy, another type of ozone therapy, is a technique in which blood is withdrawn through a vein, mixed with ozone gas and then injected back into a vein or muscle. Water enriched with ozone has been injected into joints to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Ozone or hydrogen peroxide may be injected. Blood may be withdrawn, enriched with ozone, treated with ultraviolet B radiation in a quartz container and then re-injected into the body.

Ozone-enriched water or vegetable oil has been applied to the skin to treat wounds, burns, infections and insect bites.

Ozone bagging is a technique in which the body (except for the head) is submerged for up to two hours in a bag containing ozone. Ozone insufflation involves blowing ozone gas into body orifices such as the ear, colon or vagina. It is theorized that ozone air purification may sterilize or "rejuvenate" room air. Cupping is a technique that concentrates ozone over a particular area of the body. Ozone saunas and ozone-infused drinking water are also commercially available.

Evidence

Scientists have studied ozone therapy for the following health problems:

Cardiovascular disease
There is a small study using ozone therapy (specifically autohemotherapy) in patients with a history of heart attack, reporting a decrease in levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol). However, this study was not well designed. Further scientific research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn.

HIV
Laboratory studies show that HIV may be sensitive to ozone, but high-quality studies in humans are lacking. One study measured the safety and effectiveness of ozone-treated blood in HIV and immune disease. Ozone therapy did not show benefits.