Oxithermy is a modern procedure developed by Prof. Manfred von Ardenne. It combines two proven natural healing methods to increase their effect. It is the treatment with heat, the so-called externally generated hyperthermia (whole body hyperthermia) and a simultaneous oxygen multistep therapy characterized by inhalation of pure oxygen. Especially the external application of heat is a very old therapeutic concept to reduce pain and relieve tension. Oxithermy is also based on the circulation-enhancing effect of heat, which is optimized by the improved oxygen supply.
Indications (areas of application)
- Back pain, chronic
- Inflammation, chronic – e.g. pyelonephritis (inflammation of the renal pelvis).
- Diseases of the rheumatic form
- Fibromyalgia syndrome – pain syndrome with chronic soft tissue complaints.
- Neuralgia – pain whose spread is limited to the area of a nerve.
- Bechterew’s disease or ankylosing spondylitis – inflammatory, rheumatic disease of the spine, limb joints and tendon attachments.
- Myogeloses – nodular or bulge-shaped, clearly circumscribed hardening in the muscles; colloquially also called hard tension.
- Bronchial asthma
- Atopic eczema (neurodermatitis)
- Susceptibility to infection
- States of exhaustion – e.g. burnout syndrome
The procedure
During the treatment, the patient is unclothed on a mesh couch and is covered with both a cloth and a reflective metal foil. This is to prevent heat loss. The head is outside the foil and rests on a support. For oxygen inhalation, the patient wears an oxygen mask through which he inhales 90% oxygen. In the course of the treatment there is an increase in blood circulation, respiration and increased perspiration. The treatment lasts about 30 minutes and is followed by a cooling phase of about 10 minutes. A complete treatment can consist of about 5 sessions.
The aim of the heat treatment is to increase both the body shell temperature and the body core temperature to approx. 38-39 °C. In order to make the heating comfortable, the temperature can be varied individually. The deep heat and oxygen inhalation produce the following effects:
- Increase blood flow – from superficial tissues and from organs.
- Acceleration of metabolism
- Improving the removal of metabolic products
- Acceleration of the excretory processes
- Improvement of oxygen transport and supply
- Lowering muscle tone – release of muscle tension.
- Analgesic effect – pain relief
- Activation of the immune system – acceleration of healing processes
Benefits
Oxithermia, by effectively combining hyperthermia (whole-body hyperthermia) with oxygen inhalation, successfully treats chronic conditions in particular. The external application of heat in particular can provide relief from pain that originates in the skeletal or musculoskeletal systems.