Hirudotherapy (Leech Therapy)
The Natural Way to Significantly Impruve Your Health
Hirudotherapy or Leech Therapy
Leech therapy has a long history. Records indicate that Egyptians used leech therapy 3,500 years ago. Dhanvantari, the Hindu God of Medicine, was first referenced in the 8th century B.C.E., and he is depicted as holding a leech in one of his four hands. Leech treatments were very popular during the Middle Ages. Again leech therapy was commonly practiced in the 1800's by American physicians treating a variety of diseases. is a treatment using medical leeches. This kind of therapy is known from the time of extreme antiquity and is still alive nowadays. This fact testifies its efficiency in healing various kinds of illnesses and diseases. The method of hirudotherapy is approved by many countries includ by the US. Hirudotherapy is approved as a medical therapy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The enormous experience of using medicinal leeches in medical purposes is saved up during many centuries. With the development of science the mechanism of action of a secret of salivary glands of leeches was deciphered, biologically active substances which are included in it were opened,their influence on the certain structures of an alive organism is investigated. Some medical forms are created on a basis of biologically active substances of salivary glands of leeches and work on creation of new substances is conducting. Modern hirudotherapy differs from the ancient one because now we do not use wild leeches: instead we use leeches grown at special biofactories where they are in a severe quarantine. Besides, nowadays we use a leech only once. This fact completely excludes the chance of infecting a patient.
Roughly 600 leech species have been identified to date, but only about 3 are used in medicine. Leeches classified as “medicinal leeches”, Hirudo Medicinalis, in the narrower sense have been used to treat patients for centuries.
Today, doctors use leeches for treating abscesses, painful joints, glaucoma, myasthenia, and to heal venous diseases and thrombosis. Medical leeches are used in plastic surgery, for improving brain circulation and for curing infertility.
The way of leech secret injection is very simple: being placed on the skin it bites the skin, then the secret of the leech saliva falls into the blood channel and goes to the disease focus through vessels.
In the treatment we use hirudoreflexotherapy placing the leeches on the reflexogenic points as a "Life needle".
Indications for treatment with medicinal leeches:
- cardiovascular diseases, including essential hypertension and ischemia disease, phlebogene diseases of the lower extremities;
- chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- gastrointestinal tract diseases (hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, stomach ulcer);
- ENT diseases;
- paradontosis and other teeth diseases;
- urological diseases;
- male sterility;
- skin diseases (neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, herpes);
- gynaecological disorders (commissural processes in the small pelvis, female sterility, chronic adnexitis, parametritis, endometriosis, fibromastopathy);
- systemic diseases (rheumatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma);
- osteochondrosis and radiculitis;
- eyes diseases, including glaucoma;
- infantile cerebral paralysis (ICP) and other diseases.
A simple principle lies at the heart of all hirudo-miracles. During the process of feeding, leeches secrete a complex mixture of different biologically and pharmacologically active substances into the wound. Hirudin is the best known component of leech saliva. Hirudin is sometimes used to describe all active substance in leech saliva. In reality, Hirudin refers only to one specific active substance in leech salive. Components of medicinal leech saliva that exert effects in the host's body are:
The Mechanics of HirudotherapyThe therapeutic effect of hirudotherapy is composed of several factors.
Hirudotherapy often makes use of the acupuncture points. Just as acupuncture uses a needle to bring more blood to the area, the action of the leeches likewise brings more blood to the area for healing. Leeches remove blood which prompts the liver to produce new, fresh blood.
When leeches bite, they create a tunnel to the lymphatic system remove toxins from the lymph system. This can be a profoundly effective means of systemic detoxification.
The creatures also deposit their saliva which contains a range of biologically active – healing – substances.
The main effects of the medicinal leech on the body include:
There is a defined protocol for treating different diseases and conditions with leaches. The areas where the leaches are placed, the number of leeches used, and the number of sessions varies depending upon the condition being treated.
One leech will withdraw approximately one teaspoon of blood and limph . For the next 12-48 hours, the site will discharge – it depends upon the person – up to about 10 tablespoons.
The application of a leech can take one minute, or twenty. Once the leech is attached, it will likely remain safely in place until fully distended. It will drop off usually within 30-80 minutes.
The enormous experience of using medicinal leeches in medical purposes is saved up during many centuries. With the development of science the mechanism of action of a secret of salivary glands of leeches was deciphered, biologically active substances which are included in it were opened,their influence on the certain structures of an alive organism is investigated. Some medical forms are created on a basis of biologically active substances of salivary glands of leeches and work on creation of new substances is conducting. Modern hirudotherapy differs from the ancient one because now we do not use wild leeches: instead we use leeches grown at special biofactories where they are in a severe quarantine. Besides, nowadays we use a leech only once. This fact completely excludes the chance of infecting a patient.
Roughly 600 leech species have been identified to date, but only about 3 are used in medicine. Leeches classified as “medicinal leeches”, Hirudo Medicinalis, in the narrower sense have been used to treat patients for centuries.
Today, doctors use leeches for treating abscesses, painful joints, glaucoma, myasthenia, and to heal venous diseases and thrombosis. Medical leeches are used in plastic surgery, for improving brain circulation and for curing infertility.
The way of leech secret injection is very simple: being placed on the skin it bites the skin, then the secret of the leech saliva falls into the blood channel and goes to the disease focus through vessels.
In the treatment we use hirudoreflexotherapy placing the leeches on the reflexogenic points as a "Life needle".
Indications for treatment with medicinal leeches:
- cardiovascular diseases, including essential hypertension and ischemia disease, phlebogene diseases of the lower extremities;
- chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- gastrointestinal tract diseases (hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, stomach ulcer);
- ENT diseases;
- paradontosis and other teeth diseases;
- urological diseases;
- male sterility;
- skin diseases (neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, herpes);
- gynaecological disorders (commissural processes in the small pelvis, female sterility, chronic adnexitis, parametritis, endometriosis, fibromastopathy);
- systemic diseases (rheumatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma);
- osteochondrosis and radiculitis;
- eyes diseases, including glaucoma;
- infantile cerebral paralysis (ICP) and other diseases.
A simple principle lies at the heart of all hirudo-miracles. During the process of feeding, leeches secrete a complex mixture of different biologically and pharmacologically active substances into the wound. Hirudin is the best known component of leech saliva. Hirudin is sometimes used to describe all active substance in leech saliva. In reality, Hirudin refers only to one specific active substance in leech salive. Components of medicinal leech saliva that exert effects in the host's body are:
The Mechanics of HirudotherapyThe therapeutic effect of hirudotherapy is composed of several factors.
Hirudotherapy often makes use of the acupuncture points. Just as acupuncture uses a needle to bring more blood to the area, the action of the leeches likewise brings more blood to the area for healing. Leeches remove blood which prompts the liver to produce new, fresh blood.
When leeches bite, they create a tunnel to the lymphatic system remove toxins from the lymph system. This can be a profoundly effective means of systemic detoxification.
The creatures also deposit their saliva which contains a range of biologically active – healing – substances.
The main effects of the medicinal leech on the body include:
- decreased blood clotting
- thrombolytic (clot destruction)
- antiischemic (improving blood supply to tissues and organs)
- antihypoxia (improved blood supply oxygen to the tissues and organs)
- hypertensive (normotensive)
- draining the blood and lymph system of toxins and blood clots
- restoration of the microcirculation
- recovery of neuromuscular impulse transmission
- restoration of vascular permeability
- bacteriostatic (death of microorganisms, causing inflammation)
- immunostimulatory
- Hirudin – Inhibits blood coagulant (binds to thrombin)
- Hyaluronidase – Lowers viscosity of hyaluronan (increasing tissue permeability); increases interstitial viscosity; antibiotic
- Apyrase – Inhibits host platelet aggregation
- Collagenase – Enzymes that break the peptide bonds in collagen
- Proteases – Enzymes for debridement of wounds and burns
- Lipolytic enzymes – Breakdown of lipids; involves the hydrolysis of triglycerides
- Destabilase – Dissolves fibrin (thrombolytic effects)
- Bdellines – Anti-inflammatory; inhibits trypsin, plasmin, acrosin
- Eglines – Anti-inflammatory; inhibit the activity of alpha-chymotrypsin, chymase, substilisin, elastase, cathepsin G
- Calin – inhibits blood coagulation (blocks the binding of van Willebrand factor to collagen). Inhibits collagen-mediated platelet aggregation
- Tryptase inhibitor – Inhibits proteolytic enzymes of host mast cells
- Factor Xa inhibitor — Inhibits the activity of coagulation factor Xa by forming equimolar complexes
- Acetylcholine – Vasodilator
- Carboxypeptidase A inhibitors – Increases the inflow of blood at the bite
There is a defined protocol for treating different diseases and conditions with leaches. The areas where the leaches are placed, the number of leeches used, and the number of sessions varies depending upon the condition being treated.
One leech will withdraw approximately one teaspoon of blood and limph . For the next 12-48 hours, the site will discharge – it depends upon the person – up to about 10 tablespoons.
The application of a leech can take one minute, or twenty. Once the leech is attached, it will likely remain safely in place until fully distended. It will drop off usually within 30-80 minutes.