Ozone therapy

What it involves

Medical ozone is a gas mixture of oxygen and ozone administered in various ways, most commonly by taking a small volume of blood, exposing it to the gas and returning it. Other routes are also used depending on indication.

Proposed mechanisms include mild oxidative stress prompting an adaptive antioxidant response, together with effects on circulation, oxygen delivery and immune signalling.

The evidence, stated plainly

This is where you deserve candour. Some clinical research exists, including work in peripheral vascular disease, certain infections and some pain conditions, and parts of it are genuinely interesting. But much of the literature is small, methodologically limited or conducted without adequate controls. Ozone therapy is not an established treatment for ageing, fatigue, immune enhancement or general wellbeing, and it is frequently marketed as though it were.

If you are considering it, you should do so understanding that the mechanistic rationale is plausible, the high-quality clinical evidence is limited, and it should never displace treatment of established effectiveness for a diagnosed condition.

Safety

Route of administration matters greatly. Ozone must never be inhaled — it is directly toxic to lung tissue. Administration requires correct concentrations, proper equipment and trained delivery.

It is not appropriate in several circumstances, including G6PD deficiency, pregnancy, uncontrolled thyroid disease and certain blood disorders. Screening for these is part of the assessment rather than an afterthought.

How it is approached here

Ozone is only ever considered alongside a proper diagnostic assessment, never as a substitute for one. If your fatigue is thyroid disease, iron deficiency or sleep apnoea, the correct treatment is for that condition. Finding out comes first.

Risks and limitations

No treatment is without risk, and you are entitled to the full picture before you decide rather than a summary afterwards. These are discussed with you individually at consultation, in the context of your own history.

• A limited high-quality evidence base for most marketed indications
• Discomfort, bruising or vein irritation from the procedure
• Headache, light-headedness or fatigue afterwards
• Serious harm if administered by an inappropriate route — ozone must never be inhaled
• Haemolysis in G6PD deficiency
• Not suitable in pregnancy or with certain blood and thyroid conditions
• The risk of delaying effective treatment for an undiagnosed condition

Where you would be seen

Longevity consultations, biomarker review and follow-up take place at CLNQ Manchester at Deansgate Square, and at CLNQ Knutsford in Cheshire. Phlebotomy is done on site at both.

Equipment-based longevity treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen and ozone therapy, are delivered at the Manchester Deansgate Square clinic. Patients attend from across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and parking at New Jackson car park (M15 4NP) is a short walk away.

• CLNQ Manchester — Deansgate Square 11 Owen Street, Manchester M15 4YB Ground floor of the South Tower at Deansgate Square, Manchester city centre.
• CLNQ Knutsford — Cheshire 49-51 King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DX King Street, Knutsford, serving Cheshire and the surrounding area.

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