Hirudo medicinalis#Medicinal use
The leech treatment is a method that takes in alternative medicine use. This leech ( Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudo officinalis ) are applied to a suitable location so that they cause a little bleeding of about eight to ten milliliters of blood. By in saliva ( Saliva) the flukes contained, inter alia, anticoagulants ( heparin and hirudin ) leads to postoperative bleeding, which may persist in rare cases up to 24 hours.
In evidence-based medicine leech therapy is now used almost exclusively in the field of plastic surgery. Especially for transplantation of ears, fingers, toes or skin grafts leeches are used to improve with the help of the active compounds in Egelspeichel wound healing. Due to the anticoagulant and vasodilator or anticonvulsant effect of hirudin venous drainage accumulated blood can be stimulated or at all possible, so that the Reimplantate are not rejected or die.
Historical Background
The leech therapy is one of the oldest healing methods in the traditional medical history. First traditions of leech therapy comes from Mesopotamia ( 3300 BC). However, the first clear descriptions of leech therapy comes from the Indian medicine. The mythical figure Dhavantari, the doctor, who revealed the traditional Indian medicine in the world, carried in one hand nectar, in the other he holds a leech. The most extensive presentation of this therapy can be found in Sushruta ( 100-600 BC). The traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM) uses the leech therapy, but they played there ever a subordinate role. In Europe, the leech therapy was since ancient times ( Nicandros of Colophon 200-130 BC; Galen n 129-199 BC) to the 19th century into an indispensable part of medical therapy, but also always part of folk medicine.
Effect
After Naturopathy believes this, the action of leech treatment on several factors: the bite appeal, the substances present in the saliva of leeches, which are delivered by the bite of the bacterial flora of leeches and bloodletting taking place.
Scientific studies on the efficacy, there are currently no. A study by the Karl and Veronica Carstens Foundation from 2004 serves as proof of the effectiveness of leech therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee. 80 percent of treated patients reported significant pain relief after a single treatment, and this effect partially persisted for several months. The Egeltherapie was so successful as a therapy with a pain relieving ointment ( diclofenac ). In another small study, the superiority of leech therapy in the first carpometacarpal joint in comparison to conventional drug therapy has been shown.
Side Effects and Risks
Around the bite may cause bruising that subside after a few days. In general, there is a slight swelling of the places connected with often severe itching. By scratching a wound infection can be triggered. After the treatment, it may come to the drop in blood pressure and a poor circulation. The bite marks heal normally within a few weeks, however small scars remain in rare cases.
Since the power absorbed by the blood flukes long in the body of the animal remains liquid and is only slowly degraded by peptidases, the leeches can harbor many pathogens. It protozoa ( toxoplasmosis, trypanosomes, plasmodia ) and bacteria ( streptococci, clostridia, Aeromonas ) were detected. Experiments have also demonstrated transmission of HIV. In practice, however, is still debatable to what extent can actually take place a transfer. To avoid the risk of transmission from patient to patient, the leeches are grown under controlled conditions and any leeches are used only once for treatment.
Swell
- Therapeutic process in alternative medicine
- Blood in the culture