Ozone injection therapy for intervertebral disc herniation.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common cause of low back pain (LBP). Recently, in the setting of LBP caused by LDH, a growing interest in ozone therapies has been observed. SOURCE OF DATA: Recent published literatures. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Being low back pain more common in the elderlies, exploring conservative alternatives to the surgical intervention is of especial interest. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Efficacy and feasibility of ozone injections for LDH is debated. Several clinical studies showed controversial results, and the true benefit has not yet been clarified. GROWING POINTS: Systematically summarize current evidences, analyze the quantitative available data and investigate the role of percutaneous ozone therapy for LDH. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: Current evidence encourage the use of ozone therapy for LBP from LDH. These conclusions should be interpret in light of the limitations of the present study.