Podcast Interview Transcript:
RC: Hello, everyone. This is Liz Harvey, coming to you from our studios in New York City, where we are dedicated to bringing you top quality advice from many of the leading expert professionals across the U.S.
In today’s episode, we are speaking with Dr. Warren J. Bleiweiss, a leader in the United States in the emerging medical field of oxygen ozone injection therapy, for the treatment of herniated discs, joint and muscle pain, and injuries. Dr. Bleiweiss pioneered oxygen ozone disc injection therapy in the U.S. He is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine and is board certified in both Anesthesiology and Pain Management. His long list of accomplishments includes leadership experience as a hospital anesthesiology department director, the inventor of a patented medical device, and the founder of one of the first multi-disciplinary pain management centers in New Jersey. He has been successfully treating patients for over 30 years.
Dr. Bleiweiss specializes in minimally invasive alternative treatments that heal patients without surgery or potentially harmful medications. His treatment protocols are specifically designed to activate the body’s innate ability to recover and regenerate. His practice has been producing excellent results by utilizing these alternative methods.
We have previously discussed how there are many ways that ozone injection therapy is unlike other alternative treatment modalities. Today we are discussing how ozone injection therapy is the only alternative treatment that does not entail regularly repeated treatments. Due to ozone injection therapy’s unique effectiveness, the majority of patients do not require repeated treatments.
Hi, Dr. Bleiweiss. How are you today?
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: I’m great, thank you.
RC: Thanks again for joining me.
How does oxygen-ozone injection therapy actually work to relieve pain in a spinal disc or joint?
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: We’ve discussed this question in depth in the past, but I would like to go over some of the important aspects of oxygen-ozone injection therapy. The bottom line is it improves the environment for the existing cells in whatever structure you’re injecting. It does that on multiple levels. For example, it increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. It decreases inflammation. It increases the ability of cells to cope with oxidative stress. Now, I don’t want to go into this too deeply because I’ve covered this in the past, so I encourage anybody that’s interested to listen to previous interviews. But that’s an extremely, extremely important aspect, and it helps prevent further injuries by increasing the body’s ability to cope with oxidative stress.
It also kills almost all pathogens. There’s a theory that low grade infections can contribute to disc and joint degenerations in certain circumstances. An extreme example of this is Lyme disease. We all know that Lyme disease can destroy joints over time, and ozone kills pathogens, and it kills the Lyme organism also.
Also, in addition to that, for discs, it shrinks the disc just enough to get the pressure off of the nerve. Patients have asked me does it shrink it a lot? Does it cause other problems? No, it doesn’t. It shrinks it just enough to get the pressure off the nerve. Unlike surgery, where you’re taking a piece of the disc out and the disc height is reduced significantly, ozone does not reduce the disc height.
It also stimulates the proliferation of fibroblasts, which are the cells that make up fibrous tissue, and proliferation is the fancy word for, it means increasing the number rather than increasing the size or the strength. So that’s important, for example, muscles or certain ligaments or tissues that are injured, and also the annulus of the intervertebral disc, which is the spinal disc, which is always disrupted when there’s a herniation.
So unlike surgery, it doesn’t change the anatomy. It can be repeated with additive beneficial effects. There are no adverse effects, not like surgery or steroid, where if you repeat it, there are potential adverse effects. It has no adverse effects by repeating it. And it helps prevent future injury by helping the body cope with oxidative stress.
What are some painful conditions that oxygen-ozone injection therapy helps to alleviate?
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: It helps alleviate pain from disc herniations of the neck and thoracic region, which is the mid-back and the low back. It helps any type of joint painful condition, whether it’s the shoulders, wrists, elbows, hips, knees, or ankles, and also painful muscle conditions.
For a new patient, what can they expect during their first treatment session?
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: A disc injection procedure is an outpatient procedure. It’s performed at a surgery center. It’s a same-day procedure. Strict sterile conditions are used. I use fluoroscopic guidance to ensure that I’m in the right spot. Sedation is usually given, a mild sedation, but there are patients who don’t want sedation, so I just do it under local, and I’ve been told by these patients that it’s not particularly uncomfortable.
After a brief recovery period, the patient goes home. They can go to work the next day and resume most of their activities except exercise. One week after the procedure, they could do light exercises, and after two weeks, most patients could go back to all their normal exercises.
For muscle and joint injections, it’s a simple office procedure. There’s no sedation, there’s no x-ray, there’s no steroids. Patients can drive home afterwards. They can go to work afterwards. They can resume their normal activities afterwards. The only thing is I don’t recommend exercising until two days after the procedure.
Many treatment modalities require patients to come for repeated treatments on a schedule. I understand from our previous conversations that ozone injection therapy often generates remarkable results in one treatment, even in patients who suffered severe long-term pain conditions. Can you explain how ozone injection therapy is able to achieve this type of result, which your patients often call a miracle treatment?
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: Yes, I’d love to. In addition to treating the cause of the symptom, which is the goal of all treatments, it also reverses the pathology. It promotes healing. It restores the normal state of the tissue. It helps the cells maintain homeostasis, which is very, very important for all living organisms to have homeostasis with their environment. And it helps prevent further injury by helping the body to cope with oxidative stress, which I have extensively discussed in other interviews. It’s a very, very important topic, so if anyone’s interested in it, I’d encourage them to listen to those other interviews, which are on my website.
RC: Thank you so much, Dr. Bleiweiss. We know you’re busy, so I just want to thank you for your time and your help today.
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss: You’re welcome.
RC: For our listeners across the country, if you are interested in speaking with the doctor, please visit www.alternativedisctherapy.com, or call 973-403-3334 to schedule an appointment.
On behalf of our team, we want to thank you for listening, and we look forward to bringing you more top-quality content from our country’s leading experts.
