Artritis

In recent years, there has been much discussion about the negative side effects of the main medications used to treat this problem. These drugs
are not without risk of causing certain gastric conditions, kidney dysfunction, as well as hypertension and edema.

In contrast, Hirudotherapy*, a natural treatment without side effects, has proven its value against the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Its virtually immediate effect on stiffness, pain, swelling, and mobility, along with its high safety profile, allows it to be considered a completely safe and effective method for this condition.

The Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York was the first to use leeches to treat degenerative arthritis, which causes severe and constant pain to some 20 million people in the United States. According to a study published in 2003, researcher Arya Nielsen stated that «Hirudotherapy  reduces joint stiffness and relieves pain more effectively than traditional anti-inflammatories ,» a finding also confirmed at the 2002 Congress of Rheumatology in Stockholm.

At the European Congress of Rheumatology held in Stockholm in 2002, Dr. IG Salikhov and his team from Kazan State Medical University presented their findings on hirudotherapy for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Leeches were applied to the painful muscle region around the joint. In all cases, the improvement was satisfactory, with the disappearance or reduction of pain and a lesser degree of morning stiffness. An increase in joint mobility was also observed.

“We observed improvement in all patients after the application of medicinal leeches,” stated Dr. IG Salikhov. Before the advent of modern medicine, leeches were used to treat a wide variety of ailments. Russian researchers evaluated hirudotherapy in 105 people with periarticular manifestations of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, a complication that affects muscle tissue and impairs the quality of life of those who suffer from it.

The resulting improvements included the disappearance or reduction of muscle pain and a lesser degree of morning stiffness . In addition, an increase in joint mobility was observed. No significant side effects were noted after the applications, leading scientists to conclude that the use of leeches is safe and effective.

In 2011, the International Research Journal of Pharmacy published an article on the investigation of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of the arthritis remedy with leeches, carried out by Doctors Singh Akhilesh Kumar and Singh Om Prakash of the Faculty of Ayurveda of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

This technique reduced symptomatic pain in 44% of cases, swelling in 40%, deformities in 16%, and stiffness in 28%, while increasing reduced mobility in 32%. The application of medicinal leeches in cases of gouty arthritis is considered effective.

The effectiveness of this technique is based on the combination of components present in leech saliva: anticoagulant substances ( hirudin, caline ), vasodilators, anti-inflammatories, and analgesics . Once the bite occurs, these substances are injected into the small wound, reaching the tissues and joints.

Some substances, such as hirudin , exert a noticeable effect on periarticular and adjacent tissues. This effect has been confirmed using laser Doppler. The local analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect is enhanced byhyaluronidase (a penetration factor), also injected by the leech, which increases tissue permeability.

With the additive effect of hyarulonidase , the anti-inflammatory substances in leech saliva reach a sufficient depth to exert a significant effect on the myofascial tissues of periarticular structures or even on extra-articular structures. Recent studies show that myofascial tissues play an important role in the development of chronic joint pain and local symptomatic pain in those affected by arthritis.

Venous congestion is another significant complication that threatens joint viability.  In this case, the beneficial effect is due, on the one hand, to the volume of blood ingested and the subsequent bleeding that occurs once the leech detaches from the host, thus considerably reducing venous congestion. On the other hand, it is due to the anticoagulant, vasodilatory, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory action of the substances present in saliva.

The main advantages of this technique are that it has no side effects or negative consequences and few contraindications. It is a safe and painless procedure. Each Hirudo medicinalis specimen is bio-produced, for single use only, and cannot be reused.

Hirudotherapy is a complementary technique and is not an alternative or substitute for your doctor’s instructions. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.