EK asks: "I want to know if Ozone therapy ( injected under the skin) and magnetic therapy ( don’t know how he would do that) is ok in the Catholic church. I was in a car accident and a naturopath offered these solutions."Both of the therapies you mention are considered alternatives and will probably never lose that classification because they have not proven effective in laboratory testing.
Ozone or oxygen therapy, is based on the belief that introducing extra oxygen into the body can increase its ability to destroy disease-causing cells such as cancer. Two of the most common ways of introducing this extra oxygen is through injections of hydrogen peroxide and ozone which is a chemically active form of oxygen.
According to the American Cancer Society, "available scientific evidence does not support claims that putting oxygen-releasing chemicals into a person's body is effective in treating cancer. Some types of oxygen treatment may even be dangerous; there have been reports of serious illness and death from hydrogen peroxide. Ozone is a strong oxidant that can damage cells, and has also caused deaths."
However, they do state that the use of ozone or peroxide in small amounts "under controlled conditions for treating limited parts of the body has shown some success in mainstream medical research studies."
As for magnetic or magnotherapy, this too has failed to prove itself useful when tested. As this blog explains Although scientists have been studying it since the 18th century, the only kind of magnetic therapy that has been found to be effective is electromagnetic which utilizes electricity to create a temporary magnetic field. This is the science behind magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Catholics can use alternatives, but they cannot do so exclusively in the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. Nor can alternatives be used exclusively when treating contagious diseases. We are obligated to use conventional means to treat these conditions. This blog will explain Church teaching in this area more clearly.
I can't tell by your e-mail if you are using a naturopath in lieu of a medical doctor, but I would highly recommend that you review this blog which explains how these doctors are trained and licensed.
