PO-47 | Systemic ozone treatment in chronic migraine: a focus on disability reduction and medication use

Sergio Sorrenti,^1,2 Matteo Ciuffreda,¹ Emanuele Pisello,¹ Luca Brugiaferri,² Azzurra Federici,² Cristiano Piangatelli,³ Dario Galante⁴ | ¹U.O.C. Anestesia Rianimazione Terapia del Dolore, AST Ancona, Fabriano (AN), Italy; ²Scuola di Specializzazione in Anestesia Rianimazione, Terapia Intensiva e del Dolore, UNIVPM, Ancona, Italy; ³Direttore U.O.C. Anestesia Rianimazione Terapia del Dolore, AST Ancona, Fabriano (AN), Italy; ⁴Direttore U.O.C. Anestesia e Rianimazione, Cerignola (FG), Italy

Background: Chronic migraine is a disabling neurological condition that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life and daily functioning. It often necessitates frequent use of symptomatic medications such as NSAIDs and triptans, which can lead to medication overuse headache (MOH) and other adverse effects. Increasing attention is being given to non-pharmacological and adjunctive therapies aimed at reducing the symptom burden. This study investigates the potential benefits of systemic ozone therapy—specifically autohemotherapy (AHT)—in decreasing migraine-related disability and reliance on symptomatic medications in women with chronic migraine.

Materials and Methods: Ten female patients aged 30–50 years with a diagnosis of chronic migraine without aura, unrelated to the menstrual cycle, were enrolled. All were undergoing stable symptomatic pharmacological treatment with no recent changes. The intervention included six AHT sessions: three weekly, followed by three biweekly. Each session involved ozonation and reinfusion of 150 ml of the patient’s own blood. Ozone concentrations were 25 mcg/ml for the first three sessions and 30 mcg/ml for the last three. Baseline evaluations included complete blood count and G6PDH levels to rule out contraindications. Migraine-related disability was assessed using the MIDAS scale at baseline (T0), after the third session (T1), and after the sixth session (T2).

Results: At baseline, six patients had moderate (grade 3) and four had severe (grade 4) MIDAS scores. By T1, five patients improved to mild disability (grade 2), while the other five moved to moderate. These improvements persisted at T2. All participants reported a subjective decrease in symptomatic medication use and improved sleep quality during treatment.

Conclusion: Systemic ozone therapy may be a safe and effective adjunctive option for chronic migraine management, potentially reducing disability and medication dependence. Further large-scale, randomized studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.