Herniated discs can be incredibly painful. After all, you use your back almost every time you move. There are a lot of different treatments for herniated discs and the pain they cause. On one end of the spectrum, you have herbal pain relievers and supplements. On the other end of the spectrum, you have surgery. If you want to take an in-between approach, ozone therapy is a good treatment to consider. Here are some questions people often have about ozone therapy for back pain.

How is the ozone applied?

If you've seen ozone creams and sprays for wounds before, you might be imagining the same sort of thing sprayed on or rubbed on your back. But with ozone therapy for back pain, the ozone is actually injected into the injured tissues. This way, it can go to work at the source of the pain — the herniated disc and surrounding muscles. Your practitioner will deliver the injections, often after applying a numbing gel to the skin so you don't feel the shots as intensely. You'll need a few injections during each session. 

How does the ozone heal your back?

The idea of something as simple as oxygen being able to heal your herniated discs may sound too good to be true, but it makes more sense once you understand how it works. When the ozone is injected, your body detects it, and all of your body's healing mechanisms are triggered by it. Blood flow to the injured tissues increases, which delivers nutrients to the discs and injured muscles so they can heal. This also reduces inflammation, which both eases pain and promotes healing.

Can you have ozone therapy after surgery?

Most people who choose ozone therapy choose it as an alternative to surgery for their herniated discs. It is safer and has a shorter recovery period. That being said, if you have had surgery already and have not been happy with the results, you can probably get ozone injections, too. They may help stimulate your body's healing mechanisms, even post-surgery, to speed healing and give you more relief. When surgery alone does not fix things, some practitioners recommend ozone injections as the next step.

Hopefully this article has opened your eyes to the wonders of ozone therapy for back pain. Talk to your practitioner to learn more about these injections, and schedule a consultation to see whether they're right for you.

Contact a health care provider like Gary Jett, MD to learn more.