Water Acupotomy Injection Of Ozonated Water For Treatment Of Lumbar Disc Herniation With Radiculopathy:Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of water acupotomy injection of ozonated water in treating patients with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy,and to propose a new therapeutic technique for clinical practices.Methods: 64 patients with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy were randomly assigned into ozonated water acupotomy group and acupotomy control group in 1:1ratio.Both groups were treated using the affected side’s Jiaji acupoint(EX-B2)(lumbar facet joints capsule)and Dachangshu(BL25)or Guanyuanshu(BL26)(the intervertebral foramen)at the level of herniated disc under the monitor of C-arm.For ozonated water group,after adhesiolysis using water acupotomy technique injection of5 ml and 10 ml of ozonated water(with concentration of 20 μg/ml)in the acupoints aforementioned respectively.For acupotomy control group,no injection was given after adhesiolysis using acupotomy technique.All groups were treated once a week for three times.The results were evaluated at baseline and after treatment,based on the changes in visual analogue scale(VAS)score,Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)score,Japan Orthopaedic Association(JOA)low back pain score,and evaluate the effectiveness and safety indexes after treatment.Results:1.Baseline comparison: There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of age,gender,course of disease,segment,side,VAS score,ODI score and JOA score(P>0.05),indicating comparability.2.Effectiveness comparison: When compared within the group,VAS score and ODI score decreased from baseline until final treatment,while JOA score increased,with differences statistically significant(P<0.05).When compared with the acupotomy group,VAS score,ODI score and JOA score improved significantly after treatment in the ozonated water acupotomy group(P<0.05).3.Comparison of effective rate: The effective rate of ozonated water acupotomy group was 93.5%,while the effective rate of acupotomy control group was 83.3%.When compared among two groups,the effective rate of ozonated water acupotomy group was higher than that of acupotomy control group,(P<0.05).4.Safety comparison: In the ozonated water acupotomy group,1 patient had dizziness and fatigue due to nervous,which was relieved after rest.It was a mild reaction.The safety grade was at level 1,and the 30 patients were all at level 0.In the acupotomy control group,1 patient had lower limb numbness,2 patients had subcutaneous bleeding,and all of them returned to normal after rest,which was a mild reaction with safety at level 1.The remaining 27 patients all had safety at level 0.In both groups,there were no serious events such as infection,cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents.Conclusion:1.Both ozonated water acupotomy and acupotomy can alleviate the pain of patients with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy,and improve the functional activities and the quality of life in patients.2.Ozonated water acupotomy is preferable to acupotomy in treating lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy.3.The safety of ozonated water acupotomy is higher than that of acupotomy.4.Under comprehensive consideration,ozonated water acupotomy treatment of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy is preferable to acupotomy treatment,which is safe and effective.