Objective: A prospective and randomized study to compare the clinical results between conservative vs. intra-discal/para-lumbar vertebrae ozone treatment in patients with low back pain and patients affected of sciatic pain.

Patients and method: This is a randomized study for 103 patients (44 with low back pain and 59 with sciatic pain) whose treatment was ozone versus relative rest and analgesic (control group). To evaluate: scale for measuring the intensity of pain, the Oswestry questionnaire for the disability caused by lumbar pain, the hand-flow distance, the Lasseguè test and the reinsertion of the patients to their labour activities. The clinical follow-up was 6 months.

Results: Using the scale for the intensity of pain and the Oswestry questionnaire for all the patients with low back pain (ozone or conservative treatment) we found an improvement of their symptoms (p≤0.001), with no differences in the results between the control group and the ozone group. For the group of patients affected of sciatic pain treated with ozone we found improvement of the pain after the treatment (p≤0,001) and the Oswestry questionnaire 40,4% (p≤0.001).The Lasseguè test was negative or improved in 83,2% patients after the treatment in the ozone group. In the patients with low back pain treated with ozone the 58,3% re-started working in their jobs. For the ozone group with sciatic pain the 78,6% were able to develope their ordinary work. The contained discal herniasdisk responded better to the treatment with O₃.

Conclusions: paralumbar vertebrae ozone does not improve the clinical evolution of low back pain, although it present analgesic effects in the short term. The treatment with intradisk more paralumbar ozone can be one first option in the treatment of the sciatic pain when the conservative treatment fail.

Correspondencia:

J C Ansede. Hospital FREMAP
Av. de la Palmera s/n. Sevilla 41012
E-mail: jcarlos_ansede@fremap.es

Patología del Aparato Locomotor, 2007; 5 (1): 46-54