Breathing Hydrogen Gas Reduces Pain After Back Surgery
Perioperative Hydrogen Inhalation and Postoperative Pain After Endoscopic Discectomy: A Pilot Non-Randomized Clinical Study with Exploratory Murine Data
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Musculoskeletal System
- Authors
- Chao-Hsien Sung, Wen-Chin Ko, Chia-Chi Kung, Chi-Feng Hung
- Journal
- Medicina
- Year
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.3390/medicina62091785
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Postoperative Pain
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Perioperative hydrogen inhalation was associated with lower postoperative pain and analgesic use after endoscopic discectomy, but the clinical study was small and nonrandomized.
Key Finding
Patients who inhaled hydrogen gas perioperatively (around the time of surgery) reported significantly lower pain scores immediately after surgery and at one month, and required less fentanyl and rescue pain medication compared to the control group.
Summary
This pilot study looked at whether breathing hydrogen gas before, during, and after spine surgery (endoscopic discectomy — a minimally invasive procedure to remove disc material pressing on a nerve) could reduce pain and the need for pain medications. Researchers compared 13 patients who inhaled a hydrogen-oxygen gas mixture to 12 patients who did not, and also ran a separate mouse experiment to explore hydrogen's effects on nerve pain. Patients in the hydrogen group reported lower pain scores at several time points and needed less pain medication, though the study had important limitations including a small sample size and missing data from some participants.
Practical Takeaway
This small, non-randomized pilot study suggests that inhaling hydrogen gas around the time of surgery may help reduce postoperative pain, but the missing data, lack of random assignment, and very small sample size mean these results must be interpreted cautiously. Hydrogen inhalation at these concentrations is a medical intervention — not something available through hydrogen water — and these findings need confirmation in larger, properly randomized trials before any clinical conclusions can be drawn.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background and Objectives: Postoperative pain after endoscopic discectomy may reflect acute surgical nociception superimposed on pre-existing radicular symptoms. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but clinical evidence for perioperative analgesia is limited…