Welcome to the o-zone

One visit to the ozone therapy centre at the Bombay Hospital is enough to convince one of its miraculous properties. Ozone therapy, a non-conventional form of medicine, promises to relieve, if not cure, people of problems including back and joint pains, vaginal infections, cancer, diabetes, and sinusitis.

“The therapy really works. During the last one year around 176 patients with back problems, including 90 females, were treated with ozone therapy at Bombay hospital and they showed good improvement,” said Dr Dhaval B Modi from the Neuro-radiology department.

In ozone therapy, the medical oxygen is converted into ozone by a machine called ozonator and introduced into the body both through invasive and non-invasive procedures. Even healthy people can go for the ozone therapy as it rejuvenates the senses and strengthens the immunity system.

One of the pioneers of ozone therapy Silvia Menendez Cepero from the International Ozone Clinic and Research Centre Cuba said that the therapy had proven to be effective in as many as 200 diseases. “In many of the severe diabetic cases, amputation was prevented as the affected persons feet were completely cured through ozone therapy,” she said.

The therapy is also gradually making a foray in treating HIVAIDS patients. “Most of the HIVAIDS patients fall prey to multiple illnesses due to the weakening of their immune system. This can be rectified through this therapy, as ozone is a very potent form of oxygen that stimulates metabolism and boosts the immune system,” said Dr Ashish Tiwari, staff physician, Bombay hospital.

 But, despite all the positive reasons and presence in some corners of India for years, ozone therapy has not been given its due credit.

Dr Arvind Kulkarni of Lady Ratan Tata Hospital and Indian Cancer Society said there are not many companies promoting the therapy or investing in research. “It is a natural process and so it cannot be patented,” he explained.