What is hirudotherapy?
It is a treatment with leeches or with prepared and processed components obtained from medicinal leeches used for medical, preventive and curative purposes.
What is the nature of curative effect?
Its curative effect is based on three factors. They are biological, mechanical and reflexory factors. Let us describe them one by one. When a leech bites, it injects in blood more than 150 biologically active substances, which thin blood, relieve swelling and inflammation and improve the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to cells.
The blood with lymph flows from the wound, which leads to a renewal of the lymphatic system and to the immune system reinforcement. The leeches attach themselves to the skin at acupuncture points, or nerve reflex points, which enhance the effect of enzymes.
Does it really mean that all the leeches can be considered medicinal?
In hirudotherapy there are used 3 subspecies of 1 kind of worms — we mean medicinal leech (there exist 400 species of leeches).
In hirudotherapy, they are exclusively used for medical, preventive and curative purposes. These three subspecies are the only subspecies that possess the unique useful properties for the human body. They are grown at bio-factories.
How is the leech treatment performed?
The hirudotherapist applies a leech on the dry, warm, clean skin having no foreign odors. It is not advised to use perfumed shower products and perfumes before the session.
When a leech is satiated, it falls off. Sometimes worms are taken off earlier (in case of the partial exposure).
The blood oozes from the wound after the bite. The hirudotherapist treats this site and applies a sterile dressing with absorbent pad. Within a few days the wound should not be watered.
Everybody who wants to start treatment with leeches should always keep in mind the following contraindications:
1. Blood-clotting disorders concomitant diseases.
2. Anemia and Leukemia.
4. Erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Acute febrile illness with an uncertain diagnosis.
6. Subacute bacterial endocarditis.
7. Active form of tuberculosis.
8. Acute psychomotor agitation.
9. Alcohol intoxication.
10. Sharp exhaustion (cachexia).
11. Hypotension.
12. Pregnancy.
13. Condition after surgery on the brain and spine.
14. Cancer.
15. Individual intolerance of leeches, allergic reactions, which occur in 0.01 % of the population.
Diseases, which can be treated with leeches:
Leeches may be used as a panacea. As it has been said by a wise man once: “It treats both heart and soul”. The curative properties of leeches are hard to overestimate. They really can cure people with heart diseases; can help people who suffer from respiratory diseases or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, systemic lupus erythematosus and diseases of the joints. Patients with inflammatory diseases can also take advantage of the curative properties of leeches. Sometimes it is even difficult to define what is more effective in the treatment of neurological disorders, vascular and diseases of the urogenital system — leeches or drugs because the increasing amount of people nowadays refuse drugs proving their ineffectiveness and harmful effect over other parts of the body. Many people prefer leeches to drugs whereas other people still combine pharmaceutical treatment with leeches. It seems to be a miracle but people with poor eyesight can improve their eyesight also be means of leeches. Everybody knows about the curative action of leech for people with skin, surgical and diseases of the endocrine system.
Who would have thought that leeches are widely used in dentistry? It is really so, leeched are applied in case of various dental and orthopedic diseases and trauma.
Hirudotherapy: indications and contraindications. Feedbacks
Patients show improvement right after the 1-3 procedure (depending on the disease) with a proper leech application under the supervision of the experienced hirudotherapist.
Based on my review, I can say the following: often certain indications and contraindications can be determined only at the consultation or after the examination, as each patient is an entity linked together with various components by the forward and reverse links.
Hirudotherapy: indications and contraindications. Prices
The cost of treatment depends on the number of leeches.
Consultation of a hirudotherapist: 1,000 rubles
Application of 1 leech: 500 rubles
Application of 3 leeches: 1,500 rubles
Hirudotherapy with the application of 5 leeches: 2,500 rubles