Minimally Invasive Oxygen/Ozone Shot Set to Replace Surgery for Pain of Herniated Disks _http://www.prohealth.com/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=14436&B1=EG040109_ (http://www.prohealth.com/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=14436&B1=EG040109) "The estimated improvement in pain and function is impressive when we looked at [more than 8,000] patients who ranged in age from 13 to 94 years with all types of disk herniations." A minimally invasive treatment - which safely and effectively uses injection of oxygen/ozone to relieve the pain of herniated disks - will become standard in the United States in the next few years, researchers explained at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 34th Annual Scientific Meeting. In a recent study,(1) the interventional radiologists examined just how ozone relieves the pain associated with herniated disks. Back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. While the pain of herniated disks can be severe, it can ease over time, and many people may no longer feel the need for medical care. However, in some, the pain from herniated (or ruptured or slipped) disks is intolerable or persists. "Having a herniated disk can affect how you perform everyday activities and can cause severe pain that influences almost everything you do; but you don*t have to undergo invasive surgery," noted Kieran J. Murphy, MD, an interventional neuroradiologist and chief of medical imaging at the University of Toronto, Canada. Oxygen/ozone therapy involves injecting a gas mixture of oxygen and ozone into a herniated disk. The treatment can limit pain and inflammation by reducing the disk’s volume. Currently, open diskectomy and microdiskectomy (both involving removal of disk material through an incision) are the standards in surgical treatment for herniated disk. "Oxygen/ozone treatment of herniated disks is an effective and extremely safe procedure; interventional radiologists use imaging to guide a needle to inject oxygen/ozone into injured disks," explained Murphy. "The estimated improvement in pain and function is impressive when we looked at patients who ranged in age from 13 to 94 years with all types of disk herniations,” he adds. “Equally important, pain and function outcomes are similar to the outcomes for lumbar disks treated with surgical diskectomy, but the complication rate is much less (less than 0.1 percent)." "In addition, the recovery time is significantly shorter for the oxygen/ozone injection than for the diskectomy," said Murphy. "The spine is a stunningly beautiful piece of engineering, or, as our engineers say, the spine is like a complex electromechanical system. And the interventional radiology oxygen/ozone treatment takes a minimalist approach. It’s all about being gentle," said Murphy. "Ozone shrinks disk volume; this is why it provides pain relief," said Murphy, whose second study explored the mechanism of why oxygen/ozone treatment works. The bones (vertebrae) that form the spine in the back are cushioned by small, spongy disks. When these disks are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disk is damaged, it may bulge or break open. Surgical diskectomy risks leaving the patient with too little disk. "There are millions of people with back pain who suffer and who can't work because of their pain. Undergoing invasive surgical diskectomy puts you on a path where you may be left with too little disk. Taking out a protruding disk may lose the shock absorption that naturally resides between them in the spine," said Murphy, who predicts this procedure will become standard in the United States within the next five years. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of various results published for oxygen/ozone treatment in regards to pain relief, reduction of disability and risk of complications.(2) More than 8,000 patients from multiple centers in multiple locations were included in the study. • The estimated mean improvement for patients after treatment based on the 10-point visual analog scale (VAS), a standard tool for rating the disabling effects of back pain, was a change of 3.9 (with 0 being no pain and 10 representing worst pain experienced). • The estimated mean improvement was 25.7 percent for the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which measures one*s ability to manage everyday life - such as washing, dressing or standing (with 61 percent or higher representing back pain that has an impact on all aspects of daily living. The improvement scores for VAS and ODI outcomes are well above both the minimum clinically important difference and the minimum (statistically significant) detectable change, indicating that the improvement in pain and function is a real change that can be felt by the patient. Much research in oxygen/ozone treatments has been done by interventional radiologists in Italy, said Murphy, indicating that as many as 14,000 individuals have received this treatment abroad over the past five years. The mechanism of action in relieving low back pain is complex; however, the primary effect is a volume reduction due to ozone oxidation. Researchers discovered that a simple incompressible fluid model predicted that reducing disk volume by 0.6 percent results in an intradiscal pressure reduction of 1 psi (1 pound per square inch). Thus a very small change in volume creates a large change in disc pressure, which reduces the applied pressure on the nerve and relieves pain. This model confirmed that a minimalistic alternative to a diskectomy, such as oxygen/ozone treatment, is capable of relieving the pain caused by a herniated disk without causing irreparable damage. ____
Article Citations: 1. _“Ozone’s Mechanisms of Action for Relieving Pain Associated with Herniated Intervertebral Disks,”_ (http://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(08)01137-8/fulltext) Abstract No. 38, Journal of the Society of Interventional Radiology (supplement), Feb 2009. 2. _“A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Ozone Treatments for Herniated Lumbar Disks,”_ (http://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(08)01136-6/fulltext) Abstract No. 37, Journal of the Society of Interventional Radiology (supplement), Feb 2009. Source: Society of Interventional Radiology (_www.sirweb.org_ (http://www.sirweb.org/) ) news release, Mar 9, 2009 RELEVENT ARTICLES Ozone Information For Clinicians & the General Public. This site brings together articles and published research on the use of ozone in routine health care. It is presented in the form of a book with links to the main chapters, and an index that heads each chapter. The book contains an introduction by Dr Julian Holmes, an Introduction and the History of the use of Ozone, issues in the USA & the FDA, Dental, Medical, Veterinary and Agricultural Uses. _http://www.the-o-zone.cc/_ (http://www.the-o-zone.cc/) Ozone Therapy What Does Ozone Do; How Does Ozone Work; Routes of Administration: Ozone Therapy Success Story; Ozone has been used to treat ..... ; References _http://www.caringmedical.com/therapies/ozonetherapy.asp_ (http://www.caringmedical.com/therapies/ozonetherapy.asp) Ozone in Dentistry links to much info and articles Oxygen Healing Therapies : Information and articles on a wide range of different oxygen therapies. Also has a directory of US/Canadian doctors and clinics offering oxygen therapy. Healing Center - Las Vegas : Angel Healing Center in Las Vegas can provide ozonated steams and ozonated colonics as well as several other therapies. Ozone Association : Website of the Medical Society for Ozone application in Prevention and Therapy Ozone Stimulation : Explains methods, free radicals, oxygen, and links to study results. The Story of Ozone : An extensive collection of articles about ozone and its uses in medicine and other fields. Many of the articles are by leading experts in the field and containg references for further reading. VaginalHealth.co.uk : Vaginal ozone insufflation therapy can help dramatically with vaginal discharge, thrush, odour, Candida and other vaginal problems. Ozone Forum : Dr. Gerd H. Wasser's online resource on using ozone for therapeutic purposes. Rheurdt, Germany. Oxygenozone.com : Center in Tustin, California, providing ozone/oxygen bathing treatment. The Ozone Gateway - Ozone Services : Site details comprehensive range of home & clinic, ozone therapy equipment and accessaries. Information on all aspects of generators, oxygen concentrators and other supplies. Also has downloads ... Ozone Therapy Spa, Kare Inn : Ozone therapy and massage therapy spa in Las Cruces New Mexico. _http://www.healthinforum.org/The-O-Zone-Ozone-in-Dentistry-info-592.html_ (http://www.healthinforum.org/The-O-Zone-Ozone-in-Dentistry-info-592.html) Scientific And Medical References Proving Ozone's Validity As A Medical Treatment By Ed McCabe. This is the most complete set of English language Ozone Medical references available to date. It took 7 years of hard work against formidable opposition to bring this into existence as a public service. Therefore, Ed McCabe requests that his name always be associated with this publication. It is copyrighted under: Ed McCabe 1994. Chronological Ozone Medical References - Abbreviated List - With A Concentration On Successful Aids Research _http://www.understandingozone.com/docs/Scientific_References_Ozone_Therapy.pd f_ (http://www.understandingozone.com/docs/Scientific_References_Ozone_Therapy.pdf) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/attachments/20090401/2a97de13/attachment.html _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
