What is a disc herniation?

The bones in the spine are separated by discs that allow the spine to move and absorb forces born by the spine.  The disc is like a jelly doughnut with a tough outer shell (the anulus).  If the disc ruptures, then the jelly (the nucleus) can move through the rupture and press on the nerve that goes to the leg.  This is why patients with herniated discs often have leg pain.

How is it treated?

Oftentimes the herniation will heal on its own within the first few weeks after the injury.  A person with a disc herniation may be prescribed pain medication and physical therapy in the weeks following the injury.  If the pain continues beyond 4-8 weeks, steroid injections may be offered .  These injections often combine an anesthetic with the steroid, both injected to the compressed nerve.  The anesthetic will temporarily numb the pain and the steroid will reduce inflammation.  These injections do not affect the disc herniation itself, and their effect is often temporary.  The average patient receives 2-3 injections over a 4-8 week period.  If steroid injections do not have a satisfactory benefit, the patient can opt to have surgery or live with their pain.  Surgery will involve a small incision through the back muscles and into the spine so that the surgeon can remove the herniation.

Why ozone?

Outside the United States, some physicians  have injected ozone gas directly into the herniated disc with good results.  The gas fills the disc and then bubbles out through the herniation.  The gas has a chemical reaction with the nucleus and appears to cause the herniation to shrink.  This relieves leg pain because the pressure on the nerve goes away as the herniation becomes smaller.

Because ozone may reduce the size of the herniation, Minimus Spine believes the treatment can have a lasting effect with a single injection. Data published overseas supports this belief but the results must be repeated in a clinical trial for FDA before this technology is available in the United States.

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