TO CONTINUE the theme of footballers' wives, Sandra Rednapp, wife of Southampton manager Harry, turned up with her husband for the launch of Oxygen Power Products' oxygen therapy bath.

The Rednapps are good friends of company founder Penny Jones and came along to St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay to put a celebrity sparkle into the launch.

Accelerated healing and rejuvenation in oxygen-rich environments has been observed by a number of doctors and scientists.

For Oxygen Power's boss Penny Jones it was based on a very personal experience after a serious car crash in Scotland which left her with at least four fractured discs in her back.

"I was only the second person in the world to have the operation which involved 10 titanium screws being inserted in the moving parts of my back.

"The alternative was probably a wheelchair so I had no hesitation about doing it."

Ms Jones bravely displayed an X-ray of her back after the operation. "The operation was successful but my muscles remained in trauma for the next eighteen months.

"I was then introduced to oxygen therapy and the treatment was a revelation.

"After just two, 20-minute sessions I was without pain for the first time since the operation and could move freely."

Ms Jones had experience as a health practitioner and wanted to offer similar oxygen treatments to her clients.

"The unit I used fell apart after three months and in any case would never have passed current health and safety tests. The wiring was a shambles." After extensive research and trials in her clinic, Ms Jones decided to develop her own oxygen bath.

She has been supported by the Welsh Development Agency and WalesTrade International. The latter organisation helped her find a German distributor who is aiming to sell the bath to hotel spas in Russia.

St David's Hotel has installed one at its own spa and early results are said to be very positive.

Oxygen and ozone therapy have been used for treatments since 1885.

Dr Otto Warburg won two Nobel Prizes in 1931 and 1944 for work relating to the incidence of cancer and a lack of oxygen in the cells.

Ms Jones believes a huge range of conditions can be improved with the oxygen bath therapy from skin complaints to sports injuries to degenerative diseases and respiratory complaints.

In her bath, steam is used to open the pores before super-oxygenated vapour is introduced and absorbed throughout the body.

Mr Rednapp said: "Looking at all the conditions the bath can improve I think I should get my entire team in it. I'm going to recommend that the chairman of Southampton Football Club buys one.

"We were delighted to come down tonight to support the launch."