What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed how different medical gases, including hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and nitric oxide, are being studied or used as treatments for degenerative disc disease causing low back pain.
What They Found
Ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen are the two gas therapies already in clinical use for disc degeneration, with evidence supporting pain relief, reduced inflammation, and improved function. Other gases remain experimental. The key mechanisms involve reducing oxidative stress, dampening inflammatory signaling, and protecting disc cells from death. Combining gas therapy with stem cells or bioactive scaffolds shows added benefit in preclinical studies.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Low back pain from disc degeneration is one of the most common causes of disability in Canada. This review positions HBOT as an existing clinical option that works through well-defined biological pathways to reduce disc inflammation and pain, without the risks of surgery or long-term opioid use. Canadians seeking non-surgical options for degenerative disc disease may find HBOT a relevant treatment to explore.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
Most gas therapy research outside of ozone and HBOT remains in animal or cell models, and there are no large randomized controlled trials comparing these approaches head-to-head in humans.