Herniated Discs

Oxygen-Ozone Treatment for Herniated Discs.

Oxygen-ozone therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for disc herniation that has failed to respond to conservative management.

Patients receiving oxygen-ozone treatments experienced similar outcomes, as far as pain and function, as patients who had a surgery (discectomy). In addition, the complication rate and recovery time is lower with oxygen-ozone injections compared with traditional surgical techniques.

This treatment has three stages:

1. Application of ozone injections on the paravertebral muscles, as an outpatient (1 session).
2. The discolysis, which is the injection of ozone inside the herniated disc. This is done in the surgery room (Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona), under sedation and with strict real time radiological control that ensures the proper placement of ozone in the centre of the disc. The procedure is done by the neurosurgeon Dr. Pablo Clavel. It requires a half-day hospitalization.
3. Application of ozone injections on the paravertebral muscles (1-2 sessions).

The all treatment can be done in 3 days.

HOW OXYGEN-OZONE TREATMENT WORKS

 The injection of ozone in the paravertebral muscles induces the production of antioxidant enzymes, which in time neutralize the toxic by-products liberated by the ruptured nucleus pulposus, which are producing the swelling of the nerve.

The injection of ozone directly to the disc produces the oxidation of proteoglycans, which are proteins found within the gel-like centre of the disc (nucleus pulposus). When the disc volume is reduced, the pressure on nerves is also reduced diminishing the amount of pain.

The results of the treatment are very good for an 80 % of patients

Benefits of Ozonetherapy over surgery :

Besides a shorter recovery time and lower complications rate than surgery, other benefits of oxygen-ozone injections include:

1. It doesn´t alter the anatomy of the area.
2. Discolysis just need a six hour hospitalization.
3. It is not necessary to do any rehabilitation after the treatment.
4. It is a pain-free procedure.

An Important Note 

Oxygen-ozone treatment is not suitable for everyone. If you have paralysis of the legs, an uncontrolled bladder, calcified discs, or spinal cord compression, then surgery is a better option.

For this reason, it is necessary to visit the patient and evaluate the medical exams like MRI, RX, etc. to determine if ozone treatment is the best therapy in each case.