Abstract
The aim of the retrospective study was to assess the results of the ozone therapy in a group of the the first 100 patients with chronic pain in the back and lower limbs and find which application of ozone combined intradiscal and foraminal, only foraminal application or only epidural one leads to best regression of pain and improvement of function. The therapy was indicated in monoradicular type of back pain with, at least two months of conservative therapy without any effect and a finding of herniated lumbar disc confirmed by CT or MRI.
Analog scale pain (ASP) was used to assess the severity of the pain; the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess functional limitations. Oxygen-ozone mixture (O2/O3) with a concentration of 30µg/ml was applied under CT guidance using a 22 G needle; 6 ml for intradiscal application, 10 ml for epidural or foraminal application.
Results: One month after the ozone application the pain subsided and functional limitation was improved in 87 % of patients of patients. The most effective application proved to be the combined intradiscal and foraminal ozone aplication.