KUWAIT: Intervention radiology, spinal column and chronic diseases consultant Dr Waleed Al-Hajji said treatment with ozone is considered among the successful treatments for herniated disc and many diseases, because ozone is an inhibitor of viruses and kills bacteria, fungi, parasites and others, adding that this treatment is compatible with 90 percent of cases in Kuwait.

Hajji said ozone refreshes the immune system and boosts its efficiency, and contributes to the vitality of the body's organs and cells. This is because it increases the amount of oxygen available for the cells. It also reduces pain and calms nerves, besides improving metabolism and increasing the concentration of antioxidants.

Hajji said ozone is also used in the treatment of back pain, sciatica and herniated disc. It is known that the herniated disc presses on the nerves, which causes symptoms in the upper or lower limbs. This pressure against the nerves is responsible for pain in the limbs, while pressure on nerve roots is responsible for numbness. This pressure or nerves responsible for movement causes a feeling of heaviness and sometimes muscle contractions.

Dr Hajji stressed that treatment with ozone sometimes is the solution for many diseases such as rheumatism, disc, ulcerative colon, diabetic foot, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma and many others. He said treatment with ozone improves blood circulation locally, which reduces swelling, so pain subsides. It also releases the body's natural painkillers endorphins, so muscle contraction disappears and the patient becomes comfortable.

He added medical ozone reacts with the herniated disc, which leads to the reduction of the disc size. Pressure against nerve roots will be reduced, leading to recovery. Hajji said treatment with ozone is safe and does not have side effects. It has been in use in Kuwait for a while and was proven successful, because it is not like cortisone and chemical painkillers that are not devoid of side effects, but doses must be accurate and administered by specialists. He said there are three ways to use ozone - through the bloodstream, local injection or enema.

By Abdellatif Sharaa