“The long-term efficacy of radiofrequency ozone ablation in the treatment of lumbar synostosis is extremely uncertain, and large hospitals at home and abroad have basically abandoned this interventional method, but some hospitals in China are still using it. However, some hospitals in China are still using this method, and even some hospitals’ online platforms openly advertise “no nerve damage, no pain, no side effects”, which is really surprising. I’ve often heard patients ask: “What is the effect of radiofrequency ozone ablation” in treating lumbar synostosis? The first thing I want to do is to talk about my own views on radiofrequency and ozone ablation, in order to draw attention to more experts and patients and to avoid some lumbar protrusion patients The first thing is to take a detour and delay the disease. First of all, let’s take a look at the “mythical” propaganda of “radiofrequency + ozone” treatment effect on the internet platform of a hospital: then, let’s take a look at the voices of some patients who received “radiofrequency ozone ablation”. “The voice of patients: 1, morning light (2549521335) I December 2013 onset, the examination for lumbar three four mild protrusion, lumbar four five mild bulge, lumbar five sacral a protrusion. The symptoms manifested as cold and numbness on the outside of the left big and small legs, back pain to the hip, and finally pain to the foot, and pain and numbness in the heel. Later, my right heel also felt a bit uncomfortable, and conservative treatment was ineffective for two to three months. A relatively famous local doctor suggested that I should have an operation. On March 20, I had a radiofrequency ozone ablation in a hospital in Xi’an. 12 days later, I was in pain in my lower back and almost died from the pain. The doctor’s analysis said that the disc may have slipped and protruded again after the radiofrequency. After two months of holding on to the pain, the doctor suspected discogenic back pain, and on May 12, a discogram was done in the hospital, which said that it was not discogenic back pain, but the spine was hurt again. Now I endure great pain every second, on the one hand, severe pain, on the other hand, the skin of my thighs and buttocks is cold. In May and June the whole left leg and left foot were cold. In the middle of July, I felt that the skin of my buttocks and thighs were cold when they touched the bed sheets and pants, and on July 16, both legs became cold and numb, and I couldn’t step on the ground at all. Even my left arm was numb and cold. I feel like I don’t have the strength to keep going. …… (The patient had a minimally invasive intervertebral foraminoscopy in late August 2014) 2.RuLai164946476 17:19:44 I had RF on February 13. The radiofrequency was done without ozone injection. I didn’t feel anything when I did it, but the next day I felt my symptoms worsened, probably because of the anesthetic. After a month and a half of bed rest was ineffective, then had to do the MED minimally invasive surgery. 4.Qingdao Dabao 1173300253 – I (RF) pre-operative symptoms of left leg pain, body side distortion. 2011 September did radiofrequency treatment, the cost of 10000, two months after the symptoms and (RF) pre-operative the same, I feel that RF does not work. In late July 2012 had no choice but to do a small open surgery. 3, war halberd (1006165013) in June check out lumbar protrusion, lumbar spine 4-5 bulge, leg pain occasionally feel weak. In the local hospital treatment, the director of the doctor let me do ozone ablation, he did not say so at the time, said I give you a few stitches on it, I do not understand ah, zap on it. I went to the operating room, it was scary, a nurse and an assistant to help, the doctor asked me to lie on the bed, it felt like there was a camera behind it (afterwards I knew it was CT navigation), I asked if it hurt, the doctor said, “No!” I was a little scared, the doctor asked where there are symptoms, I said the waist, legs, buttocks pain points, the doctor gave me first anesthetic, and then lancing, and said what does not hurt, it is simply torture, 15 minutes past to do. After the waist will not play bending at all, the doctor said it is fine, and then a few days of physical therapy and a few days of nutrition injection will be cured. To be honest, the next day really feel some effect, and physical therapy for a few days. But the next week, the symptoms returned, and with the numbness of the legs, more serious. I asked the doctor what happened, he said to continue physical therapy for a few days to see, I no longer believe in this hospital, now three months have passed, still not well, I hope patients choose carefully! 4, a pound down (54631309) I did “percutaneous minimally invasive intervention (L5-S1 ozone + radio frequency + collagenase 2) in July 2013, when I went to the can barely stand (can not stand for a long time), looking for the director of the pain department, after looking at the CT said I was more serious, need to do radio frequency, and then directly arranged for hospitalization, and then with me introduced the collagenase ozone injection. The next day I was admitted to the hospital, the afternoon of the second day, I had a collagenase ozone injection, saying that it can dissolve the protruding parts, with a success rate of 80%. The second day in the afternoon of the hospital to do, after the request has been lying down not allowed to move, seems to require how many hours to keep, but I really can not hold it at night or get up to go to the toilet once …… after a week seems to be a slight improvement, before is not able to stand, after you can walk a little, go downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes or something, then feel good. It was not bad. But after I got home, it got worse and worse. On the tenth day after returning home, I contacted my doctor because of the pain and went to the hospital for another ozone injection (ozone only), and felt slightly better afterwards. However, after I returned home, I often felt dizzy when I turned over, and I had a feeling of lack of oxygen in my head, which lasted for 20 to 30 days and gradually improved. The doctor repeatedly stressed that the increased pain after the procedure was normal, and that it would improve after one month, and that the patient could go to work after three months, and that the effect of the procedure would continue to work for six months so that the patient would gradually get better. I can only slowly wait for it …… 5. May (949049114) I was in July 2012 the onset of back pain, conservative treatment for 3 months did not work before doing radiofrequency ablation plus ozone surgery, at that time is in the back pain foot numbness, around the anus numbness in the case of doing radiofrequency, do when the pain is killing me, after doing not a little relief, in the hospital hospital for more than 10 days has been still and I was hospitalized for more than 10 days with the same symptoms as when I didn’t have surgery, so I had no choice but to be discharged. At that time, the doctor told me that my film was not serious symptoms, and there was no calcification will be seen immediately after the surgery, and now I regret that I did not know about radiofrequency ablation plus ozone, and was confused by the doctor threw away more than 8000 yuan for nothing. I. “Ozone” and its mechanism of action “Ozone” treatment is one of the nucleus pulposus chemolysis therapies. The following three paragraphs on the mechanism of action, indications and complications are taken from the book: Mechanism of action of ozone: ozone has unstable characteristics and strong oxidizing ability, it can destroy the fibrous tissue in the nucleus pulposus and make it atrophy and dry up; in addition, it has a decomposition and neutralizing effect on the inflammatory tissue fluid and pain-causing substances produced around the nerves and nerve roots; it can also cause local vasodilatation and make the nucleus pulposus atrophy and dry up. can also cause local vasodilation to achieve the effect of promoting the absorption of aseptic inflammation around herniated discs; in addition, ozone can inhibit the immune inflammatory reaction caused by the contact between the immunogenic polysaccharide proteins and proteins in the nucleus pulposus and the nerve roots. Ozone is mainly indicated for relatively young patients with simple bulging or herniated lumbar discs but with intact annulus fibrosus or intact posterior longitudinal ligament. Contraindications are: allergy, cauda equina syndrome, local infection, vertebral slippage, spinal stenosis, free nucleus pulposus, protrusions that are too large (greater than 1 cm) or have calcified ossification, coagulation disorders, and impaired motor function of the associated limb. Patients with hyperthyroidism and sericosis cannot do ozone therapy. After 1-2 weeks of ozone treatment, patients may experience “rebound” reaction, which is due to degeneration and necrosis of the nucleus pulposus, and then edema, causing a temporary increase in pressure in the intervertebral disc and “rebound” of symptoms. In severe cases, lumbar disc “windowing” decompression therapy is required. It has been reported in the literature that this “rebound” reaction can last 15-30 days, with an incidence of 23%. However, the facts are as follows: Radiofrequency ablation myeloplasty is also known as low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation. The following three paragraphs on the mechanism of action, indications and complications are taken from the book: “Low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation myeloplasty is used to treat lumbar discogenic pain and disc herniation, and the principle is to use low-temperature radiofrequency energy at 40°C to cut multiple channels inside the disc nucleus pulposus, remove some of the nucleus pulposus tissue, and complete remodeling of the nucleus pulposus tissue within the disc, and with 70℃ thermal coagulation closure, the collagen fibers within the nucleus pulposus are vaporized, contracted and solidified, reducing the total volume of the disc, thus reducing the pressure within the disc and alleviating the irritation of the disc tissue on the nerve roots to relieve the symptoms and achieve the treatment purpose”. “Radiofrequency ablation myeloplasty” has its own strict indications, it is generally suitable for patients with mild to moderate disc herniation. Contraindications: ①Severe degeneration of the spine and intervertebral disc, more than 33% loss of disc height and severe reduction of water content in the disc. (ii) disc prolapse with a prolapse greater than 1/3 of the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal; (iii) free nucleus pulposus; (iv) stenosis of the lateral saphenous fossa; (v) narrowing of the intervertebral space. In addition, foreign scholars such as Salvatore et al. reported that anterior displacement of the vertebral body, congenital vertebral anomalies, disc and vertebral body infection, cauda equina syndrome, negative discography and vertebral instability are also listed as contraindications. Furthermore, based on years of clinical experience, I believe that, like other puncture-based treatments in spine surgery, radiofrequency ozone ablation also carries the following risks: first, it can easily damage the spinal cord/nerve roots; second, the puncture itself can accelerate disc degeneration; and second, if the dura ruptures during the puncture, it may lead to cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Moreover, if the lumbar disc herniation is a bulging disc or mild herniation, in many cases it can be treated conservatively without intervention. Please refer to other articles on my website for details. From the above, we can see that the introduction of the mechanism of action and complications of radiofrequency ozone ablation in medical monographs is very rigorous and objective. The claim that “no nerve injury, no pain, no side effects” of radiofrequency ozone ablation for lumbar synostosis is obviously an irresponsible and one-sided statement. The purpose of quoting these words is to let patients have an objective and rational understanding of radiofrequency ablation myeloplasty and avoid being confused by some one-sided propaganda like the one mentioned above, which may delay treatment or even aggravate the condition.