title: Long-term improvement in refractory headache following ozone therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headache afflicts approximately 10%-15% of the general population. Mixed results are obtained from various therapies, usually drugs, but also oxygen inhalation, behavioral psychology, physical therapy, and peripheral or central neurostimulation. When refractory to treatment, it has severe impact on quality of life. OBJECTIVES/SUBJECTS: Five (5) patients are presented who had suffered from severe/persistent headache refractory to standard management (including 5-HT1 agonist triptan drugs) and were treated with ozone therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ozone administration was by major autohemotherapy. The procedure involved venous blood drawn into a sterile single-use glass bottle containing anticoagulant, gently mixed with an equal volume of O3/O2 gas mixture (prefiltered through a sterile 0.20-μm filter) and slowly reinfused back into the donor patient via the antecubital vein.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analyzed parameters were analgesia requirements, days of sick leave due to headache, number of headache events, and pain intensity according to the visual analogue scale (VAS); these recorded at three time points: pre-ozone therapy, post-ozone therapy, and before the last follow-up (mean: 64.6±36.8 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of headache episodes pretreatment (n=80; range 5-200) was significantly decreased during the first 6 months post-treatment (n=0, range 0-1; p=0.042) and over the 6 months before the last follow-up visit (n=1, range 0-2; p=0.043). The corresponding VAS scores were 8.7±0.8 pretreatment versus 1.1±2.5 the 6 months post-treatment (p=0.003) and versus 3.1±3.3 the 6 months before last follow-up visit (p=0.036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ozone therapy decreased headache episodes and pain severity over a protracted period. This novel approach is effective and merits further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chronic Pain Unit of the Dr. Negrin University Hospital, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. bernardinoclavo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bernardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clavo
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santana-Rodriguez
authors.forename: Dominga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robaina
authors.forename: Velio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bocci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010126:Ozone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018710:Pain Clinics; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D010126:Ozone