In the ever-changing field of integrative and regenerative medicine, therapies that utilize natural, bio-compatible materials are quickly outpacing pharmaceuticals and even surgery, in some cases. IV wellness therapies are a recent development in holistic health and are proving useful for people suffering from illness and injury, as well as those who just need a boost to help improve overall health and vitality.
The efficacy of IV treatments is thought to lie in the fact that the vitamins/nutrients/compounds are introduced directly into the bloodstream, making them more bioavailable than oral supplements, which have to pass through the digestive system first.
There are myriad types of intravenous treatments available, which you can learn more about on our IV Wellness Services page. In order to understand how these natural therapies work, let’s discuss the more established IV treatments and clinical evidence for how they work:
Myers’ Cocktail IV Treatments
The Myers’ cocktail, so named for the doctor who invented it, is a suspension of minerals, nutrients and vitamins, namely:
- B vitamins
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
The doctor that took over Myers’ patients after he died in 1984, throughout 11 years, 15000 injections and 800-1000 patients, saw Myers’ cocktail IV therapy significantly help many conditions, including:
- Acute sinusitis
- Asthma attacks
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
- Muscle spasms
In this doctor’s analysis of the use of Myers’ IV treatments by himself and hundreds of other practitioners, he delves into dozens of case studies and clinical data that back his and other IV doctors’ experiential claims about the efficacy of this intravenous therapy.
Lactated Ringer’s IV Therapy
Ringer’s lactate is most often used when someone needs rapid fluid replacement in cases of blood loss or extensive burns. A super-hydrating solution comprised of calcium, chloride, potassium and sodium – a combination also known as sodium lactate – lactated Ringer’s IV treatments are superior to saline because they replace fluid volume as well as electrolytes.
Think of sodium lactate as fuel for your body. It oxygenates and energizes cells, especially when you’re in an ischemic state, which decreases rates of cell death in that context. Ringer’s lactate is a cost-effective IV therapy that can be used in a variety of other, non-emergency situations, including:
- Pancreatitis
- Reducing muscle weakness
- Reducing symptoms associated with chemotherapy
- Rehydrating after illness (or hangover)
- Sepsis
In a before-and-after study spanning 150000 patients in 22 different hospitals, lactated Ringer’s IV solutions resulted in a 2% reduction of risk of death as opposed to normal saline.
Intravenous Peptide Treatments
Therapeutic peptides are comprised of stable chains of amino acids – the building blocks for almost everything our body does. IV peptide therapies have been around since the 1920s; insulin was the first peptide classified for medicinal use. Today, there are over 80 peptides approved for therapeutic use worldwide.
Peptide therapy can be applied to a wide range of conditions, because amino acids are able to act as several different players in the body, including:
- Hormones
- Neurotransmitters
- Anti-infective agents
- Signalers
Peptides act on high-affinity cells in a targeted way, which is why different peptide therapies are applied to specific ailments. Since peptides are broken down in the digestive tract, this treatment is administered intravenously.
Peptide therapy is used in clinical settings to treat:
- Diabetes mellitus: regulates blood sugar levels
- Cardiovascular disease: regulates blood pressure, reduces vasoconstriction
- Intestinal disease: repairs intestinal barriers, improves function
- Gastric disease: aids targeted drug therapy
- Cancer treatment: activates immune system
There are also peptide therapies to treat viral infections, which have recently gained a lot of attention in context of COVID treatment and dealing with long-term respiratory effects of the virus. Peptide IV treatments can also give your health an overall boost, and targeted administration may help heal stubborn injuries.
Similar regenerative therapies that can be administered via injection or IV include platelet-rich-plasma and stem cell solutions. They act via different mechanisms but serve similar purposes in terms of stimulating good cells and inhibiting bad cells. Peptide, PRP and stem cell therapies may also protect the integrity of the immune system, which contributes to these healing properties.
IV Ozone Therapy
Intravenous ozone therapy is a way to introduce and stimulate oxygenation in the blood stream. Medical ozone is used because it has a high ability to diffuse into tissues. It reacts with your body’s fluids and oxygenates key components that support its use for treating:
- Muscle spasms
- Pain
- Viruses
- Degenerative disc disease
- Damaged cartilage
Injected ozone can stimulate collagen production, and there is clinical evidence that ozone therapies can help:
- Knee pathology
- Shoulder pathology
- Spinal pathology
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Because one of ozone’s operations is as an anti-inflammatory, IV ozone treatments may reduce pain and improve range of motion in injured tissues. Ozone therapy has only 30 years of sporadic clinical research behind it, so it is not as well understood as the previously-discussed IV therapies. Ozone treatments may also not be safe for patients with certain health conditions or on certain medications.
A Cincinnati IV Doctor Who Can Help Restore Your Vitality
Whether you’re looking for a boost to recover from an illness, injury, or poor decisions at the bar last night, IV therapies can help. At your consultation, Dr. Blatman will inform you of your IV treatment options and perform a comprehensive analysis of your medical and health history before recommending the best course of treatment.
We believe IV therapies are best used as a complementary treatment – in tandem with other therapies like holistic nutrition counseling, occupational and massage therapy, an active lifestyle, and regenerative treatments. There are pharmacological therapies that don’t involve synthetic materials and invasive procedures; you just need the right integrative doctor to tailor a multifaceted treatment plan that’s best for you. We treat the source, not the symptoms.