Surgery is a rather uncommon treatment for the numerous people who experience herniated discs. But that doesn’t lessen the severe agony that frequently accompanies the illness. Although a standard non-surgical therapeutic option, epidural steroid injections raise safety issues. Thankfully, oxygen-ozone injections, a more recent treatment, have the potential to replace conservative herniated disc care in the future.
HOW DOES OXYGEN-OZONE THERAPY OPERATE?
An injection of oxygen-ozone gas is injected into the herniated disc. The treatment is administered to the disc with a needle, which decreases the volume inside the disc. This results from proteoglycans, proteins found in the gel-like disc’s center, oxidizing (called the nucleus pulposus). The strain on your nerves decreases together with your disc volume. This in turn lessens the discomfort you experience.
HERNIATED DISC OZONE TREATMENT
A same-day, minimally invasive outpatient operation called ozone therapy for herniated discs is carried out under fluoroscopic guidance at a surgery facility. For the patient’s comfort, local (not general) anesthesia and light sedation are offered.
Three oxygen atoms make up each molecule of ozone, a gas that occurs naturally. It decreases the volume of the herniated section of the disc when injected directly into the injury. The importance of the disc’s herniated portion shrinks along with the pressure it puts on your nerves, which lessens your discomfort.
An ozone intradiscal injection therapy does not physically harm the spine, in contrast to spine surgery. Moreover, the surgery does not change the anatomy of the disc, reducing the likelihood of further disc degeneration. In fact, the surgery enhances the disc’s long-term health. Contrarily, every surgical procedure even less invasive like an endoscopic discectomy, a micro-discectomy, or laser surgery entails removing or vaporizing a portion of the injured disc, which will decrease the height and integrity of the disc.
During surgery, a portion of the healthy disc is also removed in addition to the herniated disc. Mechanical injury opens up new possibilities for disc degeneration in the future. Moreover, inserting hardware like plates and screws is a common aspect of spine procedures. When you bend, turn, and execute other routine activities, the discs above and below the fused segments will have to work harder if the procedure involves a spinal fusion. The rate of deterioration of the healthy discs next to the fusion is dramatically sped up as a result.
THE SUCCESS RATE OF OXYGEN-OZONE THERAPY FOR HERNIATED DISCS
While the long-term effects of surgery are irreversible, an oxygen-ozone therapy injection reduces the likelihood of disc degeneration in the future and offers numerous long-term health advantages, including :
As the ozone disc injection is not an invasive surgical treatment, there is no need for lengthy recuperation periods, extensive downtime, or harm to neighboring healthy tissue. The day after ozone therapy, patients can resume their regular activities.
Ozone disc injections usually don’t need to be repeated, and even if they do, the success rate is still very high compared to the first treatment, which isn’t always the case with surgery.
The risks and known complications of spinal surgery are considerable. In contrast, there is no known heightened risk associated with ozone disc operations, and any problems are mild and transient.
The majority of patients achieve significant pain relief from a single oxygen ozone disc injection operation and do not require a repeat session, even though an ozone disc injection procedure can be safely repeated.
Not everyone is a good candidate for oxygen-ozone therapy. The effectiveness of oxygen-ozone injections for your herniated disc will be determined with the assistance of your doctor. Visit Specialty Care Clinics for complete guidance. Call us today at (469) 545-9983 to book your appointment.