Oxygen-Ozone Therapy Associated with Alpha Lipoic Acid Plus Palmitoylethanolamide and Myrrh versus Ozone Therapy in the Combined Treatment of Sciatic Pain Due to Herniated Discs: Observational Study on 318 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our observational study is to compare the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment of oxygen-ozone therapy and oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) + palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and myrrh in patients with peripheral neuropathic pain (sciatica) on radicular disc conflict from disc herniation and the results obtained with oxygen-ozone treatment alone. METHODS: We enrolled 318 patients with the neuroradiological diagnosis of disc herniation performed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and symptoms characterized by low back pain complicated by sciatica, which we divided into two groups. Group A was composed of 165 patients who were treated only with oxygen-ozone therapy with CT-guided intraforaminal technique, while the remaining 153 (Group B) have undergone combined oral treatment with ALA + PEA and myrrh. Follow-up visits for the evaluation of the clinical outcome of the treatment were conducted after 60 ± 8 days using a modified version of McNab's method. RESULTS: At the clinical check-up, 126/165 patients included in Group A had a complete remission of pain (76.4%), while in Group B, 119/153 (77.8%) had a complete remission of pain. CONCLUSION: The results highlight how the treatment associated with ozone therapy and oral administration of alpha-lipoic acid + palmitoylethanolamide and myrrh is preferred over the simple treatment with only ozone in such patients in the phase of greatest acuity of the disease, where the pain appears to be better controlled.

New Approach to Chronic Back Pain Treatment: A Case Control Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Our study compares the clinical outcome of chronic low back pain present for over six months treated with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) + palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and myrrh and periradicular infiltrations of oxygen-ozone under CT guide to periradicular steroidal infiltrations in a short (one week), medium (three months) and long-term period (six months). METHODS: We enrolled 246 patients (Group A) with low back pain treated with periradicular infiltrations of oxygen-ozone under CT guide combined with 800 mg/day of ALA + 600 mg/day of PEA + 200 mg/day of myrrh orally. Group B consisted of 176 patients with low back pain treated with periradicular infiltrations of steroids. Patients were clinically monitored one week after the end of treatment, at three months, and at six months using a modified version of McNab's method. RESULTS: In Group A, the one-week clinical follow-up registered a complete remission of painful symptoms in 206 patients (83.7%), and this manifestation remained optimal in 191 patients at the three-month follow-up (77.6%) and in 178 at six months (72.3%). While the results were satisfactory in 28 patients (10.9%) at one week, 32 (13%) in the medium term, and 41 (16.6%) in the long term, non-significant results were found in 12 patients in the control at one week (4.6%), in 23 at three months (9.3%) and in 27 at six months (10.9%). In Group B, at the short-term follow-up we obtained an excellent clinical result in 103 patients (80.5%), while at three months 85 patients reported the persistence of clinical benefit (66.4%) and at six months, 72 (56.2%) reported the same result. The result was rated satisfactory in 11 (8.5%) and poor in 4 (3%). At the three-month follow-up, 23 (18%) reported a satisfactory result, and 20 (15.6%) had a poor result. At six months, 24 (18.8%) reported the persistence of a satisfactory result while for 32 the result was poor (25%). CONCLUSION: The results highlight how the treatment associated with ozone therapy and oral administration of alpha-lipoic acid + palmitoylethanolamide and myrrh can be considered a valid alternative to common therapeutic approaches in the treatment of chronic low back pain.

Evaluation of the Stomatognathic System before and after Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in 120 Healthy People by Using Surface Electromyography.

Objective: To investigate the action of osteopathic manipulative treatment on the muscular activity of the stomatognathic apparatus by using surface electromyography (sEMG). Material and Methods: Surface electromyography (sEMG) was performed on the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles of 120 subjects (73 F; 47 M), both at time T0 and T2. The sample was divided into three randomized groups of 40 subjects each: control, placebo, and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). In the T1 interval between the two evaluations, the control group was not treated, the placebo group underwent a placebo treatment, and the OMT group underwent manipulative treatment. The mean value of each measurement and its coefficient of variation, between time T0 and T2, were calculated for both the intragroup (OMT, placebo, control) and the intergroup (OMT-placebo, OMT-control). Outcomes: In 40% of the subjects, statistically significant improvements were highlighted in the OMT. Whereas, the statistically significant results of the placebo and control groups were 7.5% and 17.5%, respectively, of which more than 75% moved away from the physiological range, showing a worsening of the muscular activity. This analysis showed statistically significant variations (p ≤ 0.05) in the OMT group compared to the placebo and the control groups. Conclusions: OMT determines variations of the activity of masticatory muscles.

Interradicular septum as guide for pilot drill in postextractive implantology: a technical note.

The extraction of teeth results in rapid bone resorption both vertically and horizontally in the first month. The loss of alveolar ridge reduces the chance of implant rehabilitation. The atraumatic extraction, implant placement in extraction socket, and an immediate prosthesis have been proposed as alternative therapies to maintain the volume and contours tissue and reduce time and cost of treatment. Thus, this paper aims to present a clinical case where the extraction was performed using interradicular septum as guide for pilot drill in postextractive implantology with implant placement and immediate provisionalization in a inferior molar. The advantages of this technique are to place the implant exactly in the center of the alveolar ridge, to mantain the edges of the alveolar ridge and reduce postextractive bone resorption, and has great advantages in final prosthetic rehabilitation.