HIRUDOTHERAPY: WHO WILL BE HELPED BY LEECH TREATMENT

Biology

In medicine, the pharmaceutical leech (Hirudo medicinalis officinalis) and the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis medicinalis) are used. Currently, they are grown under artificial conditions and used as an antihypertensive and antithrombotic agent.

Nutrition

The leech's body ends with suction cups on both sides. The back one is designed for movement and attachment, it is always visible and has no holes. The anterior one becomes noticeable at the moment of suction to the patient’s body. This suction cup is designed for nutrition - in its depth there is a hole that leads into the oral cavity.

When bitten, a three-rayed wound is formed, from which 5 to 15 ml of blood is sucked (the volume depends on the time of suction).

Structural features

In the oral cavity of a leech there are three jaws (one dorsal and two lateral), which are muscular ridges, along the edges of which chitinous denticles are located.

There are salivary glands around the pharynx and anterior part of the leech's gut. Their ducts open into the channels of chitinous denticles, with the help of which the leech bites through the skin (to a depth of 1-1.5 mm). At the same time, the secretion of the salivary glands is released. Some of the saliva is absorbed into the patient's blood.

Front suction cup

Digestion occurs slowly. It is enough for a leech to pump blood once well to maintain vital functions throughout the year. The low rate of digestion is explained by the action of substances that suppress the activity of proteolytic enzymes contained in the secretion of the salivary glands.

Each jaw has more than 90 chitinous teeth

Leeches have taste, smell and touch. React to sugar, blood and other chemical compounds. They sense even slight movement of water and move towards the source of vibrations.

Indications for hirudotherapy

What is treated with leeches? The therapy is used for various types of diseases that are treated with hormonal and antibacterial drugs. These include the following diseases and health problems:

• arthritis;
• atherosclerosis;
• hypertension;
• stroke and complications after it;
• allergic reactions;
• infertility;
• bronchial asthma;
• osteochondrosis;
• uterine fibroids;
• endometriosis;
• swelling and hematomas after injections (for recovery);
• breast mastopathy;
• haemorrhoids;
• eye diseases;
• dermatological pathology;
• metabolic disease;
• varicose veins

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are a disease associated with improper functioning of the vein valves, but not with blood viscosity. In this regard, medical worms do not have any effect on the disease, because they are not able to change medical valves in any way. Hirudotherapy reduces pain, inflammation, swelling, and the external manifestation of the disease. This effect does not last long - surgical intervention is necessary for complete cure. Leeches can heal the disease in the early stages, but patients practically do not go to doctors when the disease has just begun to manifest itself.

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Hernia

Treatment with hirudotherapy for spinal hernia is based on biologically active substances contained in the saliva of a medicinal leech. Enzymes promote the resorption of particles of a prolapsed intervertebral disc, improving metabolism and blood flow. This accelerates tissue healing, helps reduce swelling, inflammation and pain. Treatment with medical worms is effective in combination with other types of therapy and if the hernia is no more than 10 cm.

Infertility

Infertility treatment is a long, labor-intensive process. Medicinal worms are placed on certain places: the sacrum, perineum, anus, vagina. Session duration is from 20 to 60 minutes. During this time, medicinal leeches adhere, injecting substances useful for humans with saliva, become saturated, and disappear. After the procedure, the patient must rest, so it is performed in the afternoon.

Prostatitis

The main task in the treatment of prostatitis is to get rid of stagnation of blood flow, swelling and inflammation. Getting rid of a large amount of blood in the diseased area, pain relief with hirudin, relieving inflammation, improving blood flow - all this is the merit of a hirudotherapy session. The leech is useful not only by sucking blood containing toxins, but also by containing special substances in its saliva.

How do medicinal leeches act on the human body?

When bitten, the secretion of the salivary glands, a liquid with a unique composition, gets onto the wound surface.

“Leeches eliminate pimples and warts!”

Studies have shown that leeches secrete the following substances:

• hirudin – suppresses the effect of thrombin, slows down blood clotting;
• inhibitors of trypsin, plasmin, elastase and chymazine;
• hyaluronidase;
• apyrase;
• collagenase;
• destabilase;
• triglyceridase.

The blood flowing from the wound does not clot for the first few minutes after removing the leech. The reason for this phenomenon is the action of the secretion of the salivary glands, which blocks the adhesion and aggregation of platelets.

As the blood flows out, the active substances are washed away. Hemostasis is restored, the effect on platelets stops. This leads to stopping bleeding.

Anticoagulant action

Part of the secretion is absorbed into the capillary network.

Therapeutic effect:

• thrombolytic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• reduces blood clotting;
• eliminates pain;
• stimulates the immune system;
• improves blood circulation;
• promotes resorption of adhesions;
• restores damaged nerve endings;
• lowers blood pressure.

Proper use of hirudotherapy provides good results in the treatment of many diseases.

Beneficial effects of leeches on the body

The harm and benefits of leeches, their effect on the body for an individual person, must be taken into account when prescribing hirudotherapy to a patient.

Let's consider the benefits of these little healers.

1. The movement of lymph through the vessels at the site of inflammation or diseased organ is restored.
2. Blood microcirculation in the capillaries returns to normal due to the fact that hirudin has an anticoagulant and antithrombic effect.
3. Immunity is stimulated.
4. Leech has an antimicrobial effect. It secretes a substance along with saliva that kills germs.
5. The inflammatory process is relieved.
6. The drainage function improves and due to this, swelling is relieved.
7. Leeches act as a pain reliever.
8. Improves the functioning of the neuroendocrine system.
9. Counteracts atherosclerosis.
10. They charge with energy and have a regenerative effect.
11. They make local immunity work.

The complex of components contained in saliva ensures the effectiveness of hirudotherapy:

• hirudin – has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, slows down blood clotting processes;
• destabilase – an enzyme that prevents the formation of blood clots;
• hyaluronidase is an enzyme that ensures the breakdown of hyaluronic acid and deep penetration of active components into tissues;
• aeglins are special substances that can relieve the inflammatory process and promote tissue restoration and regeneration.

Hirudotherapy, the indications for which are taken into account by a professional therapist, can have a significant therapeutic effect. When a leech attaches itself to the skin, it almost immediately releases its secretion into the blood. Its distribution throughout the body causes a whole chain of reactions occurring at the cellular level.

Leech saliva is a powerful anticoagulant that has been successfully used in the treatment of blood clots. Once in the bloodstream, it has a restorative effect, improves sleep, stabilizes nervous activity, appetite, and mood. Metabolic reactions in cells are restored and immunity is increased. After several sessions, apathy and passivity disappear, and overall mood and well-being improve.

In addition, the hirudotherapist tries to place them on the body in such a way that the impact is directed at powerful reflex points. At the same time, a treatment mechanism begins to work, which is actively used in acupuncture.

When are leeches used?

Part of a comprehensive treatment

Clinical trial result

Indications for hirudotherapy:

• problems of the cardiovascular system (coronary heart disease, hypertension I-III, heart failure degrees I-II);
• respiratory diseases (chronic sinusitis and bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma);
• dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis, pancreatitis;
• diseases of the liver and biliary tract;
• neurological problems (neuroses, injuries of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves, multiple sclerosis);
• gynecological diseases;
• problems with blood vessels (thrombophlebitis, obliterating endarteritis, hemorrhoids);
• diseases of the urinary system (enuresis, prostatitis, chronic cystitis);
• skin problems (neurodermatitis, eczema, psoriasis);
• glaucoma;
• prevention of postoperative complications (lymphostasis, thrombosis, infiltrates);
• endocrine diseases (menopause, obesity, hyperthyroidism);
• scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus;
• dental problems (periodontitis, caries, periodontal disease);
• arthrosis and arthritis.

Attention! Hirudotherapy is used only as prescribed by a doctor! In some cases, the use of leeches is dangerous for the patient!

Hemophilia

Contraindications:

• anemia;
• leukemia;
• diseases with blood clotting disorders;
• erosive gastritis;
• stomach and duodenal ulcers;
• gastrointestinal tumors;
• subacute bacterial endocarditis;
• significant loss of body weight;
• pregnancy;
• individual intolerance to the secretion of the salivary glands of the medicinal leech;
• hypotension;
• tuberculosis (active forms);
• alcohol intoxication;
• condition after surgery on the spine and brain.

These contraindications are the result of numerous clinical studies.

Storage vessels

What needs to be done to keep leeches healthy?

Observe the following rules in hirudotherapy rooms:

1. The room should be well lit, without strong odors of medicines and disinfectants.
2. Sudden temperature fluctuations are unacceptable.
3. To keep leeches, wide-necked glass vessels are used (three liters of fresh water per hundred individuals).
4. The vessel must be covered with a calico napkin or a double layer of gauze and bandaged tightly. This is done to prevent the leeches from spreading.
5. The water must be clean, without chlorine and heavy metal salts. Prepared 2 days before use. The water must be changed daily.
6. An important requirement is maximum cleanliness. The vessels are stored in a cool place, protected from sunlight.
7. If the leeches become less active, it is recommended to change the water twice a day.

Subject to storage conditions, individuals remain active for six months.

Ready to go!

Leech therapy methods at home

At the moment, there are two options for blood-sucking therapy at home:

• classic or traditional, with bloodletting;
• non-traditional or non-aspiration, without bloodletting.

Read

How you can rejuvenate your body at home

The traditional method has always been used, from the very beginning of hirudotherapy more than two thousand years ago - the leech was allowed to get enough and fall off on its own. Nowadays, most hirudotherapists treat in this way. But the non-aspiration method, developed in the last century, is based on the fact that the leech is not allowed to drink enough blood and fall off. It is removed until it sticks. This avoids bloodletting and makes it possible to increase the number of individuals used in one session to two dozen. Considering that you need to carefully remove a leech from the skin; using force can damage it, the non-aspiration method requires some skill. In order for the animal to fall off without harm to itself, you need to attach a piece of bandage soaked in alcohol or salt to the back.

With the classic method of using leeches, at the end of the procedure, the place where the leech was attached will bleed, and it must be covered with a sterile bandage. A slight bleeding occurs during the day; this is completely normal and should not be alarming.

Quality criteria

Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to examine the leech. The best specimens are used for treatment.

Basic indicators of good vital activity:

Contractile reflex

How to place leeches correctly?

For patients with chronic diseases, the following treatment regimen is recommended: the course is 10 procedures (the intervals between hirudotherapy sessions are 3-4 days). After this, a break is taken for 3 months (the activity of the secretion remains for a long time).

Secrets of "Doctor Duremar"

Ancient art

Sequencing:

1. Select the number of leeches required for the procedure, rinse them thoroughly with clean water and transplant them into a separate vessel.
2. Clean the patient's skin using a cotton swab moistened with alcohol. Severe hyperemia should appear. It is not recommended to use various substances (glucose, sugar) for bait; heated skin is sufficient for stimulation. If the leech does not stick, it is of poor quality or has not had time to get hungry.
3. Wait 15 seconds for the alcohol vapor to dissipate.
4. Place the leech on the area of ​​skin selected for the procedure.
5. After suction (usually it takes 1 to 3 minutes), place a layer of cotton wool under the point of application so that the liquid flowing from the leech’s body does not bother the patient.

In the first minutes after biting the skin, the patient feels pain. Subsequently, the discomfort disappears, since the secretion of the salivary glands contains an anesthetic substance.

Basic methods:

Attention! It is unacceptable to use a pumped leech on another patient!

Using a disposable syringe

For staging you can use:

• test tube;
• small glass (volume no more than 100 ml);
• 20 ml disposable syringe with front part removed.

After the procedure, the leeches are destroyed, for which they are placed in a vessel with a 10% chloramine solution. A sterile napkin is applied to the wound. Disposable gloves are required when working!

Schemes for placing leeches for diseases of the liver and gall bladder

Reflexogenic zones for hirudotherapy

Key points:

If leeches are placed along a vertical line, you must start from the bottom point. The patient's position should be as comfortable as possible.

How to place leeches (with video)

We put 3-4 individuals in a vacuum jar or a cut-off syringe (a dozen will do - go over the edge with a candle after trimming so as not to get scratched) and look: as soon as one stands up, we remove the rest along with the jar and put them in the same place in the next place. If two are placed at one point, you can quickly remove the second one by carefully picking it up under the nose with your fingernail; the leech does not bite right away, while it “tastes” - you have a few seconds. You can sometimes leave both in one place without removing them; blood clots and clots come out through such holes better, and the result is especially obvious when applied to areas of swollen joints. At the first session, it is better to leave one individual in each zone - the blood usually drains well anyway.

To make the leech stand where you want it, dip a cotton pad in hot water, squeeze it out a little and put it in the right place - leeches readily stand in a well-heated place. A leech will even stand on your hair if the area is well heated. If necessary, re-apply a disk or cotton wool heated in hot water - it is absolutely not necessary to injure the skin by rubbing and pricking, especially since this contradicts the rule of sterility.

24 hours after applying leeches, it is especially important to drink at least 1 liter of clean still water - blood is being replaced and toxins are being removed. If you don’t drink water, your head will begin to feel dizzy and hurt due to the concentration of dirt in the blood, which there is nothing to wash away. The body will have to withdraw water from vital areas where it is needed - this cannot be allowed. However, at least a liter of clean water a day, and preferably more, is the rule for any person who wants to feel normal and stay healthy, regardless of the use of leeches.

After installation, you can use not patches, but a sticky bandage “bandage-li” of domestic production, placing several cotton pads under it or a piece of padding on a cotton pad and “bandage-li” on top. After 4-6 hours, the bandage should be changed to avoid scratching the dried blood on the pad.

Watch how leeches are placed in the video, which shows all the steps of this procedure:

Hirudopharmacotherapy

Various medical preparations are produced from medicinal leeches in Russia. The secretion of the salivary glands is used to prepare cosmetics: creams, shampoos and gels.

Medicinal shampoo

Offers from pharmaceutical companies:

All medications are used only as prescribed by a doctor!

Statistics

Points where leeches are placed for eye diseases (with photo)

Hirudotherapy is a method of treatment with leeches, this method has been known since ancient times.
This medical procedure was first mentioned in ancient chronicles. The leech treatment procedure was especially popular in the Middle Ages. In ancient times, doctors used the method of treatment with leeches for a wide variety of ailments. Bloodletting was used for migraines, skin and joint diseases, and even for complications during childbirth.

This was one of the most popular healing methods. The ancient Greek and Roman doctors Hippocrates and Galen, as well as the famous Arab physician Avicenna, wrote about him in their scientific works.

In some severe cases, the patient was given up to 40 pieces at a time, believing in the beneficial properties of leeches. It was believed that worms suck out only “bad blood”, and this helps to get rid of many ailments; any diseases and pathologies of internal organs can be cured. Of course, there are also contraindications to hirudotherapy.

How many hirudotherapy sessions need to be done? The duration of the course is calculated by the doctor individually for each patient. On average, treatment consists of 10-12 procedures. In this case, you can count on a good result. After hirudotherapy procedures, people experience severe pain, impaired blood supply is restored, and blood clots dissolve.

Indications and contraindications for treatment with leeches are still being discussed by doctors. Nowadays you can find many different opinions. The healing properties of leeches have long been proven.

The popularity of this method is currently gaining momentum, and many patients have appreciated the benefits of therapeutic procedures for the human body. Medical leech is used almost everywhere in Hirudotherapy Centers.

In order to use the hirudotherapy method, you must undergo a full examination and tests. The duration and number of procedures are calculated for each patient individually. Procedures can only be carried out under the supervision and control of specialists.

It has long been proven that leeches are also used for cosmetic purposes, with excellent results in the field of rejuvenation, the fight against cellulite, warts and acne. Many people have been using this successfully for a long time.

Medical leeches are used to treat many diseases. And the list of diseases for which hirudotherapy can help is quite large. But it is worth remembering that treatment with leeches is not a panacea, and indications must also be taken into account:

• phlebeurysm;
• stomach diseases;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• bronchitis and sinusitis;
• diseases of the nervous system;
• diseases of the respiratory system;
• use in dentistry;
• use in gynecology;
• increasing immunity.

We learned what diseases are treated with leeches, but in order to begin the procedures, it is necessary to pass all the necessary tests and be examined by a therapist. Treatment with hirudotherapy is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor in special medical centers.

Like any medical procedure, hirudotherapy has its contraindications that cannot be ignored, otherwise the therapeutic effects of leeches can be harmful. Use for the following diseases is strictly prohibited:

• for oncology;
• with hypotension;
• with poor blood clotting;
• with anemia and exhaustion of the body;
• during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• in the presence of tumors, including benign ones;
• children and elderly people.

Effective procedures with leeches cannot be recommended to everyone. There are people with very sensitive skin for whom hirudotherapy is prescribed with caution. A contraindication may be the patient’s poor health or high temperature, or the presence of fungal and viral diseases. Carry out procedures with caution during menstrual periods in women, since at this time the body already loses a lot of blood.

Treatment with leeches should be carried out under the supervision of a hirudotherapist. The scheme for placing leeches is developed only by specialists. Before starting the sessions, it is necessary to undergo an examination - obtain data on blood clotting and determine the absence of an allergy to hirudin.

Doctors do not note any side effects of hirudotherapy; the temperature does not increase after leeches. Procedures with leeches should be carried out with great caution if you have one of these diseases:

• diabetes;
• tuberculosis;
• decreased hemoglobin level;
• autoimmune diseases.

What does official medicine think about this treatment? Modern doctors did not recognize hirudotherapy for a long time, but still they had to admit that leeches can alleviate a person’s condition in various diseases. The best effect is obtained with complex treatment.

For this purpose, massage, manual therapy and medication are used together with hirudotherapy procedures. I myself have been using hirudotherapy for a long time to maintain my health.

That’s why I became interested in what reviews there are about hirudotherapy on the Internet. The health benefits of leeches are noted in most reviews. Not a single person spoke about complications after hirudotherapy.

1. Anna from Kostroma: “After treatment, many become ardent fans of hirudotherapy. The positive effect is felt immediately and lasts for several months.

   The shortcomings can only be noticed by those who naturally panic at the sight of these little sucking creatures. I have been taking hirudotherapy courses every year for 5 years now. Every time after this I feel much lighter and younger. Many people ask me, is it painful to place leeches? I answer that it doesn’t hurt at all.”

2. Valentina, Vladimir region: “After being bitten by leeches, you will live forever! The procedures have a positive effect on the entire body. Disadvantages: contraindications, steep price, wounds that take a long time to heal. I first learned about hirudotherapy from my mother-in-law, who is 65 years old.

   Leech saliva improves metabolism, blood pressure, skin regeneration and many stories about beauties of the 19th century. The therapeutic effect of hirudotherapy “on the face.” It turns out that leeches are also useful for women.”

3. User Elena: “Hirudotherapy is the most effective remedy for hypertension and headaches, it is effective, natural, and safe. In our family, hypertension is a hereditary disease. And I struggled with problems of high blood pressure and headaches for a long time and unsuccessfully. The only negative is that I felt weak after hirudotherapy.”

We can conclude: if a person is unwell and has ailments such as heart and vascular disease, problems with the musculoskeletal system, metabolic disorders, gynecological diseases, it is necessary to use the leech treatment method

At the same time, you also look 100%, not 100 years old. By the way, I didn’t find anything about complications after hirudotherapy in any review. Do leeches help? Most reviews say yes!

For medicinal purposes, leeches are grown in special sterile laboratories in medical centers. Spent bloodsuckers must not be reused. After saturation with blood, medicinal leeches fall off on their own after a certain time.

A small, deep and bleeding wound remains at the site of the bite. It is covered with a piece of sterile bandage and secured with a plaster until complete healing. In a few days, not a trace of the wound will remain.

The benefits of medicinal leeches are complemented by modern treatment methods that can improve the results of hirudotherapy. In order for treatment with leeches to bring only a positive effect, you need to carefully prepare for it and follow simple rules:

• choose a trusted medical center offering the services of licensed hirudotherapists;
• Before the first treatment session, you must take tests and make sure there are no contraindications;
• You must wash your body without using soap and wipe yourself dry;
• the skin should not be lubricated with creams and various ointments - the leech is very sensitive to odors and may not stick;
• if you feel a prick within 1-2 minutes, it means the session has begun;
• When using one or two leeches, the procedure is carried out daily. If there are more than three bloodsuckers, then hirudotherapy sessions should be carried out every other day;
• Bleeding wounds form at the bite sites. Blood may ooze for up to two days. There is no need to stop it, you just need to apply a sterile bandage to the wound;
• a couple of days before treatment with leeches, the patient is prohibited from drinking alcohol;
• It is recommended to refrain from smoking before the session.

Medical leeches are used to treat osteochondrosis and arthrosis. These diseases are caused by excessive physical activity, poor or slow metabolism, injury, as well as insufficient blood circulation in the body.

After using leeches for osteochondrosis and arthrosis, pain and swelling are reduced, and discomfort is reduced. Thanks to the procedures, blood flow improves, so the patient returns to joint health and mobility.

My first acquaintance with hirudotherapy took place in 2015. I learned how leeches are useful for humans when I was resting and maintaining my health at the Stanko sanatorium in the Ivanovo region. There I first heard about the method of treatment with leeches. Having trusted the specialist, I completed a general strengthening course of 2 procedures with a break of a couple of days. As a result, my overall health improved and I felt lighter throughout my body.

Now I use this method every year to maintain the health of my joints and back and treat my sore lower back. This method of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine certainly helps me.

A hirudotherapy session lasts approximately 30-40 minutes. During treatment, leeches are placed along the spinal column. The cost of one leech is 300 rubles. Hirudotherapy sessions are carried out 3-5 times every two days, depending on the disease.

I feel the therapeutic effect of hirudotherapy almost immediately. Gradually the back pain goes away, and I don’t think about it for a long time. This year for the first time I want to try to put leeches on my feet. I hope my personal experience will help people cure their ailments in this proven good way.

Since ancient times, people have been interested in various methods of treatment. So, unexpectedly for himself, a certain Nikander from Colophonia discovered that small vampire leeches have a healing effect on humans. This doctor is from Ancient Greece and is considered the founder of the science of hirudotherapy. Hirudina means leech in Latin. Since then, this science has found more and more recognition.

FAQ

Are all leeches suitable for treatment?

Good afternoon I have suffered from varicose veins for many years. I read about the benefits of hirudotherapy and would like to try it. But it's so expensive! I saw a lot of leeches in the pond at our dacha. What if I catch a few?

Hello! For hirudotherapy, special medical leeches are used; other types are not suitable for treatment. Hirudo medicinalis are grown in artificial conditions and do not have contact with the environment (therefore they cannot be carriers of various diseases). Also, do not forget that for the procedure to be effective, the leech must be hungry (in the wild it is impossible to control this fact).