Does paravertebral ozone injection have efficacy as an additional treatment for acute lumbar disc herniation? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigate the effects of paravertebral ozone injections (POI), which have been used as a new treatment approach for lower back pain in recent years, on pain and physical activity in patients with acute lumbar disc herniation (LDH) as an additional treatment. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients were assigned into the ozone therapy (OT) group (n = 20) and placebo control (PC) group (n = 18). Both groups received two sessions per week, a total of 8 sessions of lumbar POI. The ozone concentrations of 20–25 µg/ml (30 ml) and 0.1 µg/ml (30 ml) were administered to the OT and PC groups, respectively. The patients were assessed with the visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) before the treatment (V1), 15 (V2) and 30 (V3) days after the treatment started, and one month (V4) after the treatment ended. RESULTS: A significant improvement was seen in the VAS and ODI scores in the final follow-up (V4) as compared with the baselines scores (V1) in both groups (P < 0.05). The patients in the OT group had lower mean VAS and ODI scores in V2, V3, and V4 follow-ups compared with the patients in the PC group. This significant difference reached its peak in the final follow-up (V4) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As an additional treatment combined with conservative treatment, lumbar POI can lessen pain and disability in patients with acute LDH.