Discolysis, also called chemonucleolysis or nucleolysis, is a treatment for a herniated disc that seeks to alleviate associated neurological symptoms through enzymatic or chemical destruction or softening of the nucleus pulposis.
[3] Discolysis has also been used to describe a form of ozone therapy where an oxygen-ozone solution is injected into the intervertebral disc.
This method is not well-accepted in part due to a lack of standardization of technique, training and equipment.
[5] The authors of a 2018 systematic review noted that only a small number of poor-quality studies on the effects of ozone discolysis in the low back were available, and while they reported efficacy, potentially serious complications were underreported.
The authors concluded that ozone discolysis required more study with "adequate and consistent methodologies".