Investigating the Effect of Injectable Ozone in Treating Symptoms and Improving Performance in Patients with Tennis Elbow Disease

Abstract

Background: Lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common cause of elbow pain. Besides conservative treatments, ozone therapy is getting attention due to its safety and effectiveness. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ozone therapy in lowering pain and tenderness and improving joint function. Methods: Patients clinically diagnosed with LE were included in our study. Baseline assessments including age, gender, involved elbow, tenderness, pain, and function scores were done. All the patients underwent up to ten sessions of ozone injection in the pain site. Each injection was between six to ten ml of 30 µg/ml ozone gas into the lateral epicondyle. After the treatment regimen, tenderness, pain, and function scores were assessed. Results: Of the 28 patients with LE, 16 and 12 were female and male, respectively. More than 80% had high physical activities with their involved elbow. Comparing the pain, tenderness, and function before and after the treatment, all parameters were statistically improved (P < 0.05). These results were consistent in both men and women subgroups. Conclusion: Ozone therapy is a safe and effective procedure in patients with LE to reduce pain and tenderness, in addition to improving performance. However, large clinical trials are warranted to compare ozone injection with routinely used treatments by clinicians.