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7 Diseases that Can Benefit From Ozone
Ozone is an interesting gas. It is a 3 oxygen molecule that loosely holds the third ozygen atom and easily releases the third oxygen atom into a cell for ease of absorption and utilization. As we age our cells are less able to utilize the necessary oxygen in our bodies for healing and repair. In my clinic I utilize this very useful gas to assist the body’s ability to heal itself. Here are 10 effective uses of ozone to help you regain the health of your youth.
Honorable mentions should go to ozone’s excellent support with cancer therapies and reducing cancer’s aggressiveness and the terrific effect ozone has on cell repair as an anti aging and preventative treatment. Ozone is fantastic at helping with the aches and pains of aging or an over stressful life. For more information or to schedule a treatment for yourself call our office.
*Individual results may vary.
I just cringe when I hear about the statistics of joint replacement surgeries. So many people are wanting more movement and freedom from pain and think that only joint replacement or surgery can get them back to their old active lives. This can be very far from the truth. Joint replacement or back surgeries can have long term recovery concerns with a lot of down time and worsened pain in the meantime, often taking a year or more to recover from the surgery effects. In my work with regenerative medicine, I can tell you that there is much that can be done before you slide down the slippery slope toward a joint replacement or back surgery from degeneration. Ozone may be one of the solutions to your pain and discomfort. In my practice, ozone and prolozone, an injection of vitamins and antiinflammatory homeopathic remedies coupled with the ozone gas can help your body’s own natural healing process to repair injury and regenerate torn or worn tissue. Often I will couple ozone injections into a joint before or after a platelet rich plasma injection to stimulate new tissue formation or strengthing.
So imagine the power of significantly increasing the repair time of a torn meniscus or ligament by the use of ozone/prolozone injections with or without the use of platelet rich plasma. Something that can take months to repair on its own, if ever, can be accelerated to a few weeks, allowing for you to get back into action without the recovery time from surgery. Cartilage integrity and degeneration can also be improved in the case of arthritis and inflammation from stress or injury. Ozone, is an unstable 3 oxygen atom containing molecule that easily donates the extra oxygen atom to the surrounding tissue for oxygenation and healing of the cell. This lays a much more powerful foundation for strengthening and healing of the surrounding tissue. Injuries heal faster, especially in the cases of torn soft tissue like menisci and ligaments that have low blood supplies to the area.
If you have a torn meniscus or ligament in your knee, or degenerating disc in your back, consider prolozone and ozone injections to repair the area to circumvent or stave off surgery and joint replacement. Meniscal surgeries in the knees for torn meniscus sets up a scenario for future knee replacement possibilities because of the tissue that is removed and the resulting effect it has on your gait and joint function. Fast forward 20 years and your surgeon is recommending replacement. You can help yourself anywhere along the way by getting ozone, prolozone or platelet injections to repair and rebuild an area that is being constantly stressed.
In this case, a little consideration of regenerative medicine can just save you many months or years of pain and discomfort.
Tendon Healing Accelerated by Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is one of the hottest topics for tissue repair in medicine today. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is often used for alleviating osteoarthritis, repairing torn ligaments and injured tendons as well as innovative therapies like improving nerve and blood circulation for erectile dysfunction or repairing wrinkles in the skin and bone regrowth. Platelets are amazing cell-like particles that circulate around in your blood repairing various aspects of damage to your body.
Research and scientific innovation has helped doctors isolate platelets and concentrate them out of your blood so that they can be injected into the area of injury or degeneration which allows for accelerated repair. In a recent study published last month, French researchers have found that ultrasound guided placement of PRP into a tendon that is injured or partially torn significantly accelerates the healing of the tendon. Many runners and athletes have been plagued by tendonitis or other tendon injuries which keep them from acheiving their competitive goals and often leading to surgery and recovery. Platelet rich plasma injections are non-surgical repair alternatives for people with mild to moderate arthritis and partially torn or strained ligaments and tendons.
The human body has an incredible ability to heal itself, sometimes a little help from modern science and medicine accelerates the process. In our office we’ve found excellent pain reduction for knee pain, ligament strains, meniscus tears, lower back pain, cartilage damage and tendonitis. You should expect to feel a reduction of pain about 3 weeks after the procedure, continuing to improve for 6 or more weeks after. My personal knee arthritis improvements have extended well into 6 months post injection. For arthritis and areas that are high use regions such as hips and knees, you’ll find that a booster in 12-18 months really helps to reduce further degeneration. For active tendonitis, considering ProloZone which is an oxygen/ozone therapy to rehabilitate the tissue environment can be really helpful for pain relief and further accelerating repair before or after the Platelet injection.
Preventing Joint Replacements in Your Future
Arthritis, injury and poor body alignment all contribute to excessive wear and tear on your joints and ligaments. If you are in regular and consistent pain during or after activity your body is warning you of joint stress and deterioriation. Visiting your chiropractor to realign you without addressing the underlying cause of loose ligaments or inflamed tendons leading to joint instability is only part of the answer. Many of you know of Prolotherapy and it’s use for regenerating torn ligaments and deteriorating cartilage. Now, research and innovative therapies are providing us with 3rd and 4th generation joint regenerative techniques that are worth considering now if you are dealing with continuous visits to the chiropractor and osteo or rheumatoid arthritis.
What therapies should you consider to repair your joints?
When you are finding yourself going regularly to the chiropractor to get repeated alignment and adjustments, consider joint and ligament regeneration treatments to improve the strength of your ligaments so realignment is not necessary. Your joints will thank you in the future. Who knows, you might be able to keep your own joints well into your 80’s or 90’s.
PRP-Platelet Rich Plasma for Pain Treatments
You may have been hearing about the use of PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma for acceleration of the repair of ligaments, tendons and joints after injury or surgery. PRP is uses your own body’s repair cells to accelerate the natural repair process of an injured body part. This is different from steroid injections that help with pain but ultimately degenerate the area that was injured because it stops the inflammatory process which brings growth hormones and repairing cells to the area that was injured.
Most people don’t know what PRP is or why it’s so great so I thought I would try and explain it to you. Platelets are part of your blood, most people don’t know that their blood is made of many different components such as red blood cells, white blood cells and yes, platelets. Platelets are cells that repair injured areas and helps in blood clotting and tissue remodeling. Some ingenius researcher figured out that harvesting platelets and putting them where tissue is damaged can significantly accelerate the healing process in an area. This in many cases can eliminate the need for surgery to repair a partially torn tendon, ligament, cartilage or joint.
A PRP injection is often used with Prolotherapy techniques to place the platelets in the desired area of repair. Say you have a knee with degenerating cartilage which gives you pain during your day. If you came to me, and wanted to try PRP for your knee what would happen? First we would take blood from you by using some special needles and tubes so that we can get blood from you without disturbing the platelets. You see, platelets are very susceptible to activation and what we want is to get your platelets to activate but not until we get the platelets to their new home in your knee. After drawing blood, you sit back for about 20 minutes while your platelets get separated out from the rest of your red and white blood cells. White blood cells cause inflammation and sometimes inhibit the work of the platelets. Platelets stimulate the production of growth hormones in the area where they are activated, this is why this is so useful for getting your cartilage to regrow or ligament to knit. Platelets are powerful stuff in healing the body.
After your platelets are harvested and separated from the rest of your red blood cells, we would simply inject them into your knee (or elbow, wrist or ankle etc.) where we want them. If you have a ligament problem, they would be injected where the ligaments are at the bone attachment. If it was a meniscus problem, it would be injected into your meniscal area. If it were the cartilage, the joint would be injected. You should be on your way in about 10 minutes after injection.
Pain during the injection is minimal as the area of injection is treated with a local anesthetic. Afterwards, since there is little inflammation caused by white or red blood cells, you should feel only slight soreness or tenderness for a day or two. After I had my knee treated with PRP I had no problem walking afterwards and little issue in the days after. My knee was fine to run on in about 3-4 days but bike riding was fine in 2 days after treatment. Maximum effect of PRP injections, since your platelets are there to rebuild the ligament, tendon, or cartilage, will be seen and felt in about 4-6 weeks. Repeat injections for severely degenerated areas can be done in 1 month.
After PRP injections, like after Prolotherapy injections, many people will find that their pain has gone and over time their cartilage is repaired. If you catch your knees, shoulders in the early stages of degeneration and sometimes in the later stages as well (but it can take more injections), much surgery is avoided and no longer necessary.
Next time I’ll talk about PRP and the use of it in connection with scar repair, wrinkle repair and in treating stretch marks.
Why YOU Should Consider Natural Hormone Replacement
What if I told you that there is something you can do to improve your sex life, help you lose weight, reduce your total cholesterol, increase your HDL, reduce your risk for chronic illnesses such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis and Alzheimers would you be interested? How about if it also improves your memory, sleep, skin tone, the appearance of wrinkles and helps your body recover from injury more quickly? How would you feel now? Pretty exciting isn’t it? There is a good body of research that supports the use of natural or bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, testosterone, DHEA and or growth hormone to help you achieve the mind and body of your late 20’s. Why aren’t more people doing it? Well, they are but you haven’t heard about it until now.
The first question I get after suggesting natural HRT to my patients is the question, “Isn’t that dangerous?” The short answer is “no”, not if we use natural hormones and not synthetics, something chemically identical to your body’s own hormones. Yes, the synthetics are dangerous, lead to an increased risk of cancer and stroke. The Women’s Health Initiative tried this and with the use of synthetic estrogens much older women developed a marked increase in stroke risk. Low testosterone in men has been clearly shown to increase their risk of heart disease. Low growth hormone in men is related to and increased risk of prostate cancer. High serum testosterone predicted a reduced 5-year risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly men.
According to the Journal Menopause Management in March 2008 estrogen therapy safely and effectively reduces total mortality and coronary heart disease in recently menopausal women. Estrogen therapy reduces coronary calcium artery. Estrogen replacement therapy is associated with improvement of cognitive deficits and reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. In April 1995, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that estrogen replacement was associated with substantial decreases in risk of fatal colon cancer. These results were consistent with several published studies suggesting a protective role of exogenous estrogens in the development of colorectal cancer. Natural progesterone therapy was related to a lowered risk of breast cancer than synthetic progestins. According to The Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine: JGSM: the Official Journal of the Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia in October 2000, estrogen as a possible preventive agent for Alzheimer’s disease is an issue of overwhelming importance when the public health impact is considered.
I could go on and on with research findings but suffice it to say if you are over 40, whether male or female you should consider having your sex hormones checked along with your thyroid, adrenal and growth hormones and get them adjusted to help you maintain an optimun quality of life. Maintaining your hormones at an optimum level will allow you to attain a lifestyle full of vigor and vitality well into your 80’s. Don’t wait too long since the research indicates that the protection from these hormones are only present when you start them close to menopause or andropause in men. For more information, read on.
The Fountain of Youth May Be Within You
What if I told you that your own cells might be the source of reversing aging effects on your skin like acne scars, deep wrinkles, crow’s feet, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and sun damage? PRP or Platelet rich plasma, or platelets taken from your own blood, concentrated using specialized medical equipment can be reinjected into your skin, wrinkles and scars that can transform it into the magically smooth and even skin of your youth.
You might be like me, someone who spends a lot of time and money on anti-aging products and services that are mediocre at best. My esthetician who does a variety of facials on me tells me my skin is looking better but honestly the results are mediocre at best, according to my critical and unforgiving mirror. Up until now we either had to have the genes that keeps us looking younger than our years or be willing to endure expensive cosmetic surgeries or procedures that make you look “worked on”. Fast forward to the 21st century and I’m discovering that the face lift and fillers may be oh so 20th century passe. Want to know the ultimate secret in skin repair and rejuvenation?
A procedure fashionably called the Vampire face-lift aka PRP face lift is something that can be done at your doctor’s office with minimal pain and very little recovery time to induce your skin to produce more collagen and elastin to tighten up fine wrinkles and fade dark spots. Moreover, it can repair acne scars, pits, deep wrinkles and uneven skin appearance. PRP face lift is a medical procedure that can get results similar to a surgical face lift but without surgery. This procedure combines the use of something called the DermaPen which painlessly uses microneedling to quickly pierce the skin over the area of concern such as face, neck, decolletage, back of hands etc. Platelet rich plasma is painted onto the skin and let to seep into the treatment area. The plate rich plasma or PRP, derived from your own blood is specially processed to extract the platelets but removing out the proinflammatory white blood cells, red blood cells and plasma. The platelets stimulate growth hormone production and accelerates collagen formation and remodeling of the texture and surface of the skin.
In a treatment or two if you have deep scars or wrinkles, you will be amazed at the renewed vitality of your skin. Crow’s feet fade, the marionette lines around your mouth start to disappear and the deep grooves in your forehead can recede. This treatment is terrific for neck lines and wrinkles and on the upper chest that is often prone to aging signs far ahead of the face.
After the treatment your face or area of treatment will be red and feel irritable like a light sunburn for a day or so. Full effects of the PRP and skin remodeling will take 3 months. Many of the improvements will be noticeable in about 3 weeks. If your skin needs a lot of support due to deep acne scars or wrinkles, this treatment can be repeated in 4-6 weeks. Numbing cream is used to assist in comfort during the procedure but in people with just fine lines, this is not necessary. The upside of the PRP facial or vampire facial is that there is little risk of post procedural hyperpigmentation which is a significant risk in people with darker skin. The procedure can also help is some cases of vitiligo.
If you’re interested, come to our office for a treatment and watch the hands of time turn back as you regain that youthful smooth skin we remember from our 20’s. Also, find out about the use of PRP platelet rich plasma for rebuilding cartilage, torn ligaments and tendons or acceleration of post surgical recovery.
More about DermaPen:
Cervical Dysplasia: A Reminder
It’s been a few years since I’ve sent out a plea for all women of child bearing age to reconsider doing a Leep procedure or colposcopy if you’re diagnosed with cervical dysplasia. They are NOT necessary, nor good for your cervix. Sure, you can stop the dysplasia but what about the integrity of your cervix? If you are thinking of having children in the future, then you should remember that these procedures can affect the integrity of your cervix and uterus. This is no small problem.
Just a few small changes to your lifestyle and about 3 months of herbal treatment will eliminate the HPV that you have that caused the cervical dysplasia and put you at risk of cancer. My suggestion is not to wait and see but to make active changes in your life now so that this does not become a bigger problem in the future. Obviously choose your sexual partners carefully. Eat lots of dark leafy greens and take a folic acid supplement. Keep your immune system healthy by avoiding sugar and junk food and if you’ve been diagnosed with cervical dysplasia, go see your naturopathic doctor for treatment. Herbal treatment for cervical dysplasia is painless, and extremely effective. I’ve been practicing 13 years now and there is no end to the astonished women who get back normal PAP results after our treatment for cervical dysplasia and low level cervical cancer.
Pass it on, tell all your friends! And read more here about how to avoid surgery when you have been diagnosed with cervical dysplasia.
IV Magnesium for Migraine Headaches
Nutritional IV therapies are becoming increasingly important for those suffering from very chronic conditions that have underlying causes from nutritional deficiencies. It has been found that there is a set of people who are prone to migraines and stress headaches that are due to chronic mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Migraine headaches with or without auras are difficult to control and sometimes feels like they last way longer than they should. Many common medications designed for migraine treatments do not sufficiently address the pain or allow you to recover quickly enough. Some important things to consider if you suffer from migraine headaches:
Diet: Food sensitivities are often a major contributing factor of mineral imbalace or inflammation in the body. If you are sufferering from repeated migraines, get tested for food sensitivities. Often you will find your answers in changing your diet and allowing your body to have a rest from too many pro-inflammatory foods. Some people benefit from stopping gluten containing foods or dairy or nightshades. However, I’ve found that most people suffering from repeated headaches have food sensitivities much farther reaching than a simple food or two.
Past trauma: History of head injury or whip lash and the invisible scar tissue that may build up from past trauma under the skin can lead to chronic restrictive injuries that aggravate the nerves and lead to constant inflammation and pain flare-ups when you least expect them. There are common nerve bundle points that can be treated using neuroprolotherapy or biopuncture that can help relieve these traumatic injuries.
Hormonal imbalance: Women with hormonal imbalances often get migraines before their periods. Usually this is due to blood sugar imbalances, adrenal hormone imbalances and female hormone imbalances. Get your hormones checked and then balanced in order to fix the common PMS related migraines.
Having considered all the angles for causes of migraines and you find yourself still dealing with the effects of a horrendous migraine? Come into our office for a Migraine Stopper IV consisting of magnesium and b-vitamin infusion which often can get you back on your feet quicker and with fewer side effects than ever before.
IV Vitamin & Mineral Therapy for Chronic Pain
Pain of any kind is the number one reason people visit their doctors. Chronic pain is debilitating and depressing. It affects your life, your outlook and your hope. Will the pain ever end?
No matter the cause, IV nutritional therapies might just be the answer for your chronic pain. I treat patients with chronic pain on a daily basis and find that some people who are suffer from extensive inflammation or degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia or other auto-immune problems there just aren’t enough appointments available to treat all the varying painful problems some people suffer from. Sure, a knee, an elbow or a neck or shoulder are easy to treat by using other treatments that we have discussed previously such as neural prolotherapy or traditional prolotherapy or biopuncture. Muscle spasms in your back, no problem. Nerve pain in your leg? No problem. Neural prolo or traditional prolo can take care of most issues. But what about those of you who are suffering from severely chronic and degenerative problems. Many are looking at back surgery, knee or hip replacement or are chronically debilitated with rheumatoid arthritis or multiple locations affected by osteo arthritis. Are you stuck with pain meds and narcotics that make your head fuzzy but don’t take the pain completely away? Or are you finding that your pain medications are increasing over the months and years? How to break away and stop the pain and inflammation cycle in your body?
IV therapies might just be the ticket to your way out of the chronic pain trap. IV therapies for chronic pain can provide just what your body needs to stop the pain cycle. Many people with autoimmune disorders or fibromyalgia are not only suffering from the pain but they are also suffering from imbalanced hormones and nutrients. Consequently, they have difficulty detoxifying, their tissues are very acidic which further compounds the problem. If the detoxification process is overloaded the body’s way of taking out the trash is slowed and hence the body becomes overwhelmed by it’s own toxins which further exacerbates the pain and inflammations cycle. What nutritional IV therapies do is start to give the body a break by rebalancing your cellular function so that the cell’s ability to transport nutrients in and waste out of the cell is regained. Many varying vitamins are used for this function. MSM is a favorite of many who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic regional pain syndromes. Vitamin C for tissue repair, Taurine for rebalancing cell communication, B6 for nerve repair, b12 and folic acid, magnesium for the muscles, calcium for the cells, various amino acids for repairing the connective tissue and cartilage.
Your unique body chemistry and condition is considered when your doctor makes up for you a pain relieving cocktail. By no means is this a panacea, however, many stubborn pain cases have found that their pain is virtually eliminated. Of course, there are the quick fixes for migraines, headaches, hangovers and acute injuries but those who have suffered from 20 years of back pain or knee pain or hand or foot pain will find it’s certainly worth your while to investigate further the use of nutritional IV therapies for your chronic pain condition. The side benefit is usually that your brain becomes sharper and energy becomes stronger, so what are you waiting for? Check it out!
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