A clinical trial sponsored by the Nevada-based company Active O, Inc, has begun to recruit patients to investigate a new, non-surgical treatment for lower back pain caused by a contained herniated disc. The clinical trial will be conducted by several centers in Canada. According to an Active O news release, the trial is studying a minimally invasive injection of natural gases designed to dissolve a small amount of disc tissue in order to resolve the disc herniation.
The treatment being investigated does not use a high-temperature device and avoids surgical removal of the tissue. The first sites in North America to study this treatment are the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Toronto Western Hospital for the University Health Network, University of Toronto, and the London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital, in London, Ontario, as indicated on the Active O news release.
James Rybicki, CEO of Active O, states, “For patients that have failed conservative therapy and steroid injections, their only options today are prescription medication or surgery. In this clinical trial, the Canadian investigators are exploring a promising, less invasive option to fill this treatment gap that is designed to provide patients with resolution of their back pain.”
The Active O news release notes that a meta-analysis of 8,000 patients undergoing this treatment in Europe showed that more than 70% experienced improvement in their pain with a low rate of complications.
The treatment is considered investigational and is presently not authorized for sale in Canada or the United States.
Source: Active O
