Rational approach, technique and selection criteria treating lumbar disk herniations by oxygen–ozone therapy

Abstract

Radicular lumbar back pain is an important public health problem not yet benefiting from a unequivocal treatment approach. Medical and physical therapies represent the first solution; however, when these fail, the second therapeutic step is still controversial and mini-invasive treatments may play an important role. In these cases oxygen–ozone therapy has been proved to be a very safe and effective option that is widely used with different modalities. This paper, by reviewing oxygen–ozone therapy literature data, aims to describe the rationale of oxygen–ozone therapy for the treatment of lumbar disk herniations, propose an effective procedural technique and clarify patient selection criteria; furthermore, complications and follow-up management are also considered.