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Oxygen/ozone gas treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome: a narrative review

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

 

  1. Rheumatology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy.
  2. Unità di Ricerca Clinica, Gruppo Ospedaliero Moncucco, Lugano, Switzerland.
  3. Rheumatology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy.
  4. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Internal, Anaesthesiological and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  5. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Internal, Anaesthesiological and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  6. Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
  7. Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  8. Pain Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi Sant’Ambrogio, Milan, Italy.
  9. Rheumatology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy. piercarlo.sarziputtini@gmail.com

CER2
2024 Vol.1, N°1
PI 0015, PF 0019
Reviews

Received: 23/05/2024
Accepted : 24/05/2024
In Press: 28/05/2024
Published: 10/07/2024

Abstract

Widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue can significantly reduce treatment compliance in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). These patients also frequently show a poor treatment response and are highly subject to placebo effects that induce approximately 60% to turn to complementary or alternative therapies. Given the limited pharmaceutical options for managing the variety of FM symptoms, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as oxygen/ozone gas therapy (ozone therapy) may be beneficial as some studies have shown that it is effective in treating pain, sleep disorders and fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or FM. This review analyses seven studies that investigated the use of various forms of ozone administration, including major and minor autohemotherapy, and the rectal insufflation of ozone concentrations of 20-60 μg/mL, and found a consistent pattern of symptom improvement (reduced pain, improved sleep, and enhanced mental clarity) among FM patients. However, these studies were also characterised by potential limitations such as their small sample sizes, different treatment protocols, the absence of double-blinding techniques, and a lack of long-term follow-up data, thus suggesting a need for confirmatory controlled clinical trials. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, it seems that ozone therapy is a promising means of treating FM that merits further investigation in longer-term, large-scale and standardised trials.

Rheumatology Article