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We report the case of a 56-year-old male with a familial hypokalemic paralysis suffering from progressive myopathy of the lower limbs. While episodes of paralysis were well controlled with oral potassium supplementation, muscle weakness in the lower limbs gave little response to rehabilitative therapies. The patient underwent a series of treatments of ozone therapy alternated with large autohemoinfusion (GAEI) and rectal insufflation twice a week; GAEI was then maintained once a month. The muscle strength of the various muscle segments was evaluated during physiotherapy. A significant improvement in musculoskeletal strength and therefore in the response to rehabilitation treatments has been observed. Oxygen-ozone therapy appears to be effective in increasing muscle strength in patients with genetic alterations of the potassium and calcium channels, thus making physiotherapeutic rehabilitation more effective.

Propofol, an intravenous general anaesthetic, has been reported to relieve some forms of pruritus at subhypnotic doses. We assessed its effectiveness in 32 patients with several kinds of non-malignant chronic pain, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. We found that central pain, but not neuropathic pain, is at least partially controlled by propofol at subhypnotic doses, without major side-effects. In particular, allodynia associated with central, but no neuropathic, pain has been completely controlled. Propofol analgesia leads to renormalization of brain metabolism as seen on single photon emission computed tomography. We conclude that propofol may help in the diagnosis of central pain, particularly in unclear cases, and also in treatment. Possible mechanisms of action are discussed.