Ozone may be a wonder molecule to the clinicians though its potentials yet to be fully
explored. It has role in controlling bacterial, fungal & viral infections including AIDS, treating non-healing ulcers, Rheumatoid and other kinds of arthritis, different kind of skin diseases and many others. But here we shall restrict our discussion in role of ozone in pain management. Ozone is a tri-atomic Oxygen molecule, O3, with a different molecular structure than Oxygen. At room temperature, Ozone is a colorless gas with a characteristic odor (similar smell after thunderstorms, at high altitudes or near the sea etc). At ground level its concentration 0.03 - 0.04 ppm. Ozone in the atmosphere is produced by action of UV rays and thunderstorm on the atmospheric Oxygen; but Medical Ozone is produced from pure medical grade oxygen with the help of high voltage electrical discharge. Medical ozone is a mixture of oxygen and ozone of different concentration. Medical ozone is always freshly prepared on site (in a special generator) for immediate administration. A trained physician according to the medical indication and the patient's condition determines the exact dose of ozone. Treating patients with ozone (ozone therapy) is not a new procedure. The first ozone generators were developed by Werner von Siemens in Germany in 1857, and 1870 saw the first report on ozone being used therapeutically to purify blood, by C. Lender in Germany. During World War 1, ozone was used to treat wounds, trench foot, gangrene and the effects of poison gas. Dr. Albert Wolff of Berlin also used ozone for colon cancer, cervical cancer and decubitis ulcers in 1915. Today, after 125 years of usage, ozone therapy is a recognized modality in many nations: Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Israel, Cuba, Japan, Mexico, and in five US states. It was also used extensively to treat war wounds during World War-II. It was not popularized before, as ozone resistant materials were not used to produce ozone generators. Also the exact concentration of ozone was unknown. Former Ozone generators are either UV light Ozone generators or plasma type Ozone generators. Here, it was very difficult to know the precise concentration of ozone. Now with the present Corona-discharge Ozone generators, it is possible to know the exact concentration of Ozone. Also, by changing the current or the oxygen flow, Ozone concentration can be precisely modified. Ozone therapy has been found to be an extremely safe medical therapy, free from side effects. In a 1980 study done by the German Medical Society for Ozone Therapy, 644 therapists were polled regarding their 384,775 patients, comprising a total of 5,579,238 ozone treatments (ozone therapy) administered. There were only 40 cases of side effects noted out of this number that represents the incredibly low rate of .000007%. Ozone Therapy has been described as the safest known medical therapy. Among the various diseases presented with pain the following has been treated with ozone therapy with very good results; e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythemoatosis, scleroderma, polymyositis/fibromyositis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteo-arthritis, Reiter syndrome, psoriasis, synovitus, gout, chrondrocalcinosis, pyrophosphate arthropathy, calcific peri-arthritis, calcific tendinitis, calcinosis and inter-vertebral disc prolapse. In our Pain Clinic we apply ozone therapy for osteo- arthritis of knee, trigger point injections for fibromyalgia/ Myofascial pain, and inter-vertebral disc prolapse or slipped disc successfully. How Ozone should be administered? There are different methods like inhalation of ozone/oxygen or ozone/air mixture; insufflations through rectum/vagina; treating with ozonated water (drinking, dressing wound/ulcers etc.); auto-transfusion of ozonated blood, application of ozonated oil and so on depending on type and site of disease. But for treatment of different pain we use injection of different concentrations of ozone gas only. Ozone molecule is not stable. It has a half-life of 20 minutes only. So, within 20 minutes only half of the original ozone remains, the rest becomes oxygen. Increase in temperature decreases its half-life. For injection it is always freshly prepared on site for immediate administration. Only Ozone resistant syringes can be used for injecting it. The contraindications for treatment with ozone are only a few. They are active bleeding from any site, pregnancy, and active hyperthyroidism. The mechanisms of action of ozone are many. Most of its actions are due to the active oxygen atom liberated from breaking down of ozone molecule. Besides its action as bactericidal, fungicidal, viricidal agent, it activates cellular metabolism, modulates the immune system & increases and activates body's own antioxidants and radical scavengers. In the treatment of pain different other mechanism acts. There is enhancement of circulation. Ozone reduces or eliminates clumping and red cell. Its flexibility is restored, along with oxygen carrying ability (due to the stimulation of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate). Oxygenation of the tissues increases as the arterial partial pressure increases and viscosity decreases. Ozone also oxidizes the plaque in arteries, allowing the removal of the breakdown products, unclogging the blood vessels. All these leads to an increase in the amount of oxygen released to the diseased tissues. There is also reduced formation of inflammatory mediators like different prostaglandins and so there is an anti-inflammatory action. In case of prolapsed inter-vertebral disc (or, slipped disc) different other mechanism acts. Inter-vertebral disc is filled with nucleus pulposus which is a jelly like material which holds water (90% of disc material is water). When ozone is injected into the disc the proteo- glycan bridges in the jelly-like material are broken down and they no longer capable of holding water. As a result disc shrinks and mummified which is equivalent to surgical discectomy and so the procedure is called ozone discectomy or ozonucleolysis. It has been published in neuro-surgical journals that up to 85% of disc operation can be avoided with these non-surgical interventions. Success rate is about 88% which is comparable to surgical discectomy (50% to 90%). Complications are remarkably low and much less than surgery. Cost of Ozone therapy for slip disc is also much less compared to surgery. Ozone is gradually gaining popularity in various medical fields especially in pain management. Newer modification in techniques and administration of ozone, more and more publication of scientific materials in the medical journals and animal studies have made it more acceptable to the medical community and gradually it is becoming more popular.  Conditions treated with Ozone Therapy:
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How to give an Effective Presentation, Workshop and Talk
 What it is about: Have you ever gone to a talk only to find that you did not enjoy it, felt that you didn't get what you were expecting and maybe even got irritated with it? Don’t be one of those presenters who cause this for your audience. Regardless of your topic you can present a talk/workshop that will draw each and every person into what you are discussing and have them leave feeling that they got something out of it, that you touched their lives and that they want to interact with you again. It has nothing to do with confidence in standing in front of people but rather what happens in the background and beforehand. Giving an effective presentation will boost your credibility, have your business grow and have you touch and change more people’s lives. 21st March 2014 – Friday 10:00 – 15:00 (arrive 8:45am) Location: i.move studio at Mayfair – 3 Bright Street Somerset West. Presenter: Nicola Symons Cost: R250 This workshop will empower you on: 1. How to put a structure together for any talk, presentation or workshop that you may have to present. 2. Soft skills around public speaking. 3. Talking skills – the power of the voice. 4. Skills around set up, planning and execution. 4. How people are different and how you can relate to all the differences in your audience and still be effective with each one. 5. The above 4 pointers will give you the confidence to speak in public. What to bring: Pen, Paper, Lunch or money to buy lunch, Good attitude, Energy Non-refundable deposit of R100 to be paid to book your space. Space is limited. Book either through Mayfair on 021 851 7037 or directly with Nicola Symons: nicolagymgirl@hotmail.com About the presenter: I have been public speaking most of my life, doing drama throughout school and have been on stage or behind a podium since then, presenting many talks, symposiums, conventions and workshops. Some of my public speaking highlights have been: presenting at Discovery Wellness Convention, teaching Richard Brandson how to Zumba in front of hundreds of people, being the MC for an indoor triathlon that featured on Super Sport TV, working with Patrick Holford on one of his 2 day symposiums. I am qualified in “Train the trainer” and “Making learning happen”. These qualifications were the stepping stones to move public speaking from being a once off event into continual education and facilitation. I have been a master trainer for 8 years: writing manuals and presenting topics related to my field of expertise. I am also currently a facilitator working adhoc for Virgin Active and HFPA, facilitating many subjects and courses. I wish to teach those, who are interested, in the skills around presenting and hosting workshops as I find that there are so many great people with great things that they do, but they fall short on getting this across due to not knowing the formula on how to give an effective presentation. So if you feel you need these skills I would love to interact with you in my workshop. |
