Oxygen Therapy: All of Your Questions Answered

World-class cyclists know the benefits of a little extra oxygen. Known as blood doping in professional sports, it gives athletes an unfair advantage over their competitors and has ruined the reputations of greats caught using it, such as Lance Armstrong.

Clearly, oxygen has a powerful effect on the body, so what would happen if you — not a world-class athlete — had a little more of it? Could it increase your energy? Help you overcome illnesses? Speed up healing?

Yes! And you can take advantage of the medical benefits of oxygen therapy, also known as ozone therapy, under the expert care of Jordan Bernard, ARNP, at Optimized Wellness in Centennial, Colorado. Trained and experienced as an oxygen therapist, she can help you determine whether your medical conditions may benefit from the healing power of oxygen.

Although this safe and effective therapy has been used for medical applications for many years, you may not have heard about it yet. Here are the answers to some common questions. 

Why does your body need oxygen?

Air is life. Every breath you take floods your body with life-giving oxygen. Every living organism needs oxygen to keep growing and living, which is why it’s so abundant in your body. An average-sized man (about 148 pounds) is made of about 65% oxygen, which gives a clear indication of its importance. Oxygen is essential for cell respiration and division, and every living organism relies on it to heal, regenerate, and thrive. 

Is oxygen therapy new?

About 150 years ago, researchers discovered ozone (three molecules of oxygen, O3), the gas that protects the Earth and us from the sun’s harmful UV radiation, and found that it has therapeutic properties. Its applications in the medical field became widely used during World War I to disinfect water and clean wounds. Ozone is known for killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses, as well as aiding in blood flow and reducing inflammation.

How does oxygen therapy work?

Ozone in its gaseous form is harmful if you breathe it in. The safest way to get the benefits of ozone without inhaling it is to inject directly into your bloodstream. When it’s injected into your muscle tissue it’s called MINOR autohemotherapy, and when it’s injected into your veins, it’s called MAJOR autohemotherapy.

Either way, it allows ozone to enter your body quickly and safely.

To do this, we draw a small sample of blood from your arm, mix it with medical grade ozone, then re-inject it. The process is simple and relatively painless.

What conditions can oxygen therapy help?

There are many medical conditions that can be improved with oxygen therapy, including:

• Wound care
• Viral diseases 
• Bacterial infections
• Macular degeneration
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• HIV
• Arthritis

Those are just a few of the conditions doctors treat these days with oxygen therapy. But studies are being conducted to discover additional benefits of adding ozone to the body, including:

• Blood treatments, like increasing circulation, stopping bleeding, and purifying blood
• Boosting immunity
• Balancing hormone production
• Relieving pain
• Treating diabetes
• Improving brain activity

Am I a good candidate for oxygen therapy?

While research is still ongoing, this therapy has been proven safe and effective for men and women of all ages in the treatment of multiple medical conditions. If your immune system is compromised and your cell generation process is sluggish, oxygen therapy may improve your symptoms.

Our team can perform a complete medical exam and let you know if oxygen therapy is right for you. Give us a call or book an appointment online to schedule your oxygen therapy consultation today.