Murphy K., Elias G., Steppan J., Boxley C., Balagurunathan K., Victor X., Meaders T., Muto M.

PURPOSE:
To elucidate the mechanism of action of intradiscal oxygen-ozone therapy for herniated intervertebral disc therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:
Oxygen-ozone therapy breaks down proteoglycan GAGs that maintain disc osmotic pressure, dehydrating the nucleus pulposus and reducing intervertebral disc volume. This is likely a primary mechanism by which ozone relieves nerve root compression and alleviates herniated disc-related pain. Additionally, 2 wt% ozone appears to interact with intradiscal cytokines, generating an antiinflammatory response that may contribute to symptom improvement.

More information: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed