Intradiscal Injection of O2O3 For The Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniations. Results at 5 Years

A method wich will allow shrinkage of herniated disc, without open surgical approach has been longly searched for. Studies on the spontaneous disappearance of disc fragments have demonstrated autoimmune responses, with a chronic inflammatory reaction, as well as radicular pain has been shown to be mostly due to release of toxic acids. Researchers in different fields surprisingly noticed that a brief, calculated, oxidative stress by ozone administration, may correct a persistent imbalance due to excessive, chronic oxidative injury. Oxigen-ozone gas injection in painful patients has a dramatic effect on clinical symptoms. On these bases the intradiscal injection of 0xigen-ozone gas has been conceived. We report the treatment of affected by cervical disc pathology, by intradiscal injection of Oxigen-Ozone gas mixture. The effect on pain and radicular dysfunction are dramatic. The effect of the treatment has been evaluated also by pathological examination. A large amount of research has been done on the various aspects of disk pathology, and on the possible solutions of the problem. Studies on pain originating from this pathology show that it may be the consequence of biochemical mechanisms of acid intoxication of the nerve, which may be somehow independent from the mechanical problem, but may dipend either from autoimmune reaction, producing a chronic inflammatory respons which engenders an acid environnement, or a situation of hyschemia. These problems may be solved by biochemical treatment, reducing the need of surgical aggression. On the other hand in the years the mechanism of disc shrinkage and elimination of herniated fragments have been carefully studied and the development of an autoimmune response against a "non-self" material, leading to a chronic inflammatory reaction is demonstrated. A mixture of oxygen and ozone gases is employed in medicine since thirties for the treatment of pain and dysfunction in patients affected by trombotic and hischemic diseases. The empirical observation of the powerful and long lasting effect of the injection in paravertebral muscles of this gas mixture in the treatment of pain and radicular dysfunction because of discal-radicular conflict has brought to detailed studies on the subject. Working in different fields, researchers have surprisingly noticed that a brief, calculated, oxidative stress, achived by ozone administration, may correct a permanent imbalance caused by excessive or chronic oxidative injury, and it is becoming clear that modest, repeated ozone treatment increases the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, inducing a state of oxidative stress adaptation with very important therapeutic implications. The mixture is produced by an apparatus (ozone generator) which activates the molecules of biatomic oxygen in a voltaic arch. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry allows a precise quantification of ozone percentages in the obtained mixture. Jacobs in 1982 has reported the absence of side effects in over five million ozone therapy sessions for different pathologies. The paravertebral intramuscular treatment produces pain relief in the majority of patients, together with decongestion, reabsorption of oedema and increased mobility. This has brought to the idea of injecting the oxygen-ozone mixture in the intervertebral disc and in the conjugation foramen in order to obtain a powerful effect directly on the pathological mechanism.