Mechanism of action of oxygen ozone therapy in the treatment of disc herniation and low back pain

Abstract

In the low back syndrome the pain has a multifactorial origin and ozone can surprisingly display a number of beneficial effects ranging from the inhibition of inflammation, correction of ischemia and venous stasis, and finally inducing a reflex therapy effect by stimulating anti-nociceptor analgesic mechanisms. The intradiscal and intramuscular injection of oxygen-ozone is a successful approach comparable to other minimally invasive procedures, but the elucidation of the mechanisms of action remains elusive. This communication shortly reports the mechanisms of action of oxygen ozone therapy at the level of intervertebral disc and paravertebral muscles. © 2011 Springer-Verlag/Wien.