Ozone therapy as add-on treatment in fibromyalgia management by rectal insufflation: an open-label pilot study

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of ozone therapy by rectal insufflation as add-on therapy in fibromyalgia management.

DESIGN: Patients with fibromyalgia received 24 sessions of ozone therapy during a 12-week period. At each session, the administered dose of ozone was 8 mg (200 mL of gas, at a concentration of 40 μg/mL). Ozone sessions were given 5 days a week during the first 2 weeks, twice a week from weeks 3-6, and weekly from weeks 7-12. Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was the main outcome measure, and was administered at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Secondary outcome measures, administered at baseline and at endpoint, were the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the SF-12, the abbreviated form of the Short Form Health Survey. Emergent adverse reactions to treatment were recorded.

RESULTS: FIQ total scores decreased significantly during the study period, with the decrease being observed in the first 4 weeks of the study. Significant improvement was also seen both in depression scores and in the Physical Summary Score of the SF-12. Transient meteorism after ozone therapy sessions was the most frequently reported side-effect.

CONCLUSIONS: At the dose and number of sessions used in this study, ozone therapy by rectal insufflation seems to be beneficial for physical symptoms and depression of fibromyalgia.