Leech therapy has established itself as an alternative remedy for the treatment of vascular disorders, since leech saliva can temporarily improve blood flow and ameliorate connective tissue hyperalgesia. Purged leeches must be used only when fresh leeches are not available or when there is a shortage in the supply of leeches. Rowshan, dds,c fort hood and tyler, texas, and fort irwin, california darnall army medical center, tyler oral and facial surgery center, and fort irwin. Hyson, dds, ms, ma bloodletting is an ancient procedure that was utilized for curing the ills of man. Medicinal leech, any of certain leech species phylum annelida, particularly hirudo medicinalis, h. There are some risks associated with using leech therapy. If the pdf does not display below, you may also download it here.
If you are suffering or in pain we are here to help you. Leech therapy has been administered since ancient times. Leech therapy is one of the oldest medical practices, having been practiced among the diverse ancient people, including the mesopotamians, the egyptians, the greeks, the mayans and the aztecs. To provide information about the risks and benefits of hirudotherapy. The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. In ancient rome, the use of leeches for bloodletting was propagated by galens humoral concept of disease in. Leech therapy can be beneficial for the treatment of hair loss and baldness. Government registered acupuncturist and herbalist, a member of the australian traditional medicine society atms. One or more leeches are attached to the skin of problematic area and the purpose is to gain potential utilities of leech saliva that is secreted while the leeches are feeding. However, its use is also associated with infections, especially from aeromonas species. Monitor patient response to leech therapy and notify nursing supervisor when no longer require leech therapy.
This therapy is reused in the early 1990s when, at a medical research with leech therapy was able to prove that this therapy can cure tumors without chemotherapy and surgery. Medicinal leech therapy is usually carried out for 4 to 5 days for patients with replant. Beautician puts leeches on womans face to suck off pimples. Leech treatment is practiced with success by everyone both people who have decided to treat themselves with leeches at home and in specialized hospitals where they treat all sorts of diseases and problems with them. Leeches are used in the medical practice since ancient times to treat many diseases. Journal of the american academy of dermatology volume 33. That role is largely in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
All data on the application of the medicinal leech in microsurgery depend on case reports and case series with no controlled studies being published up to date. Document on medicinal leech therapy adult form which can be found on the clinical forms register. Leech therapy, although extensively used for treating pain throughout the medical history, has never been evaluated in a modern scientific context. Medical leech therapy hirudotherapy semantic scholar. Infection there is a small risk of infection from the leech. Hirudo medicinalis has widest therapeutic usage among the leeches, but worldwide. Efficacy of leech therapy in the management of osteoarthritis. The asian medical leech is hirudinaria manillensis, and the north american medical leech is macrobdella decora. Leech therapy a holistic approach of treatment in unani. Medicinal leech therapy, 1e original publisher pdf.
The concept of alternative and complementary medicine. Reconstructive, cosmetic surgery medicinal leech therapy. Leech therapy is the ancient practice of bloodletting or bloodsucking and is considered one of the oldest medical practices known. A leech can be stored in its shipping container at room temperature for 34 days before it needs to be transferred to a new home. Medicinal leech therapyan overall perspective ncbi. Medicinal leech therapy the medicinal leech, hirudo medicinalis, has been used increasingly for relief of venous congestion, especially for salvage of compromised pedicled flaps and microvascular freetissue transfer, digital reimplantation, and breast reconstruction. Leech therapy for compromised flaps is best used early since flaps.
Number 6 brief communications 1053 indications and complications of medicinal leech therapy claire l. The nurse will explain leech therapy to you and make sure you understand the process before applying the first leech. Leech therapy hirudotherapy benedits and medicinal uses. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. A complication of leech therapy is the risk of infection. Medicinal leech therapy is effective in establishing venous outflow in congested flaps and replants. Hirudo medicinalis, the european medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches other species of hirudo sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include h. It has survived rapid paradigm shifts in medical sciences and knowledge. Leech is used to relieve venous congestion and to improve blood circulation.
Leech therapy anticoagulation protocols iowa head and. Of the more than 650 known species in the hirudo genus, hirudo medicinalisis used most often in medical therapy. Bloodletting is the removal of impure blood from the body it can be done by a number of space and leech therapy is one of the natural ways of bloodletting. Medicinal leech therapy has undergone a renaissance in recent years, both in terms of how well the effects of using leeches are understood,and in the discovery of new clinical applications that have resulted in remarkable outcomes. Hippocrates introduced leech therapy in greece but the method was also known to ancient mesopotamians, egyptians and aztecs, and mayans. Medicinal leech therapy has undergone a renaissance in recent years, both in terms of how well the effects of using leeches are understood, and in the discovery of new clinical applications that have resulted in remarkable outcomes. Indications and complications of medicinal leech therapy. Elyassi, dds,a jayson terres, dds, md,b and henry h. Research conducted in europe also proves that the leech therapy is done with medical treatment medicines or herbs can increase the effectiveness of the drug. Medicinal leech therapy mlt or hirudotherapy is a kind of complementary and integrative treatment method applied with bloodsucking leeches. Medicinal leeches have an important and expanding role in medicine, but infection can complicate their use. Leech therapy has been a very popular treatment for a wide range of diseases since ancient times.
Even though human medical capabilities have evolved to the point that scifi mainstays such as robots and lasers are commonplace in operating rooms, many of medicines most important breakthroughs still come from nature. The chinese materia medica says that medicinal leeches are salty and bitter in flavor and neutral and toxic in nature. Facts about leech and benefits leech therapy medicinal. In recent years medical leech therapy has gained increasing interest in reconstructive surgery and pain management and other medical fields. The only sydney leech therapist in private practice. Because of their ability to suction blood, theyve been applied for centuries for bloodletting, a practice once believed to heal many ailments. Oct 21, 2017 beautician puts leeches on womans face to suck off pimples. Medicinal leech therapy jama facial plastic surgery.
Leech therapy can reduce symptoms caused by osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glutamine intake and leech. If you agree to go ahead with the therapy, then the nurse will clean the area of congested skintissue and carefully put the leech in place. Although they are specially farmed for medicinal use, they contain bacteria in their gut that helps them digest blood. The medicinal leech, hirudo medicinalis, has been used increasingly for relief of venous congestion, especially for salvage of compromised pedicled flaps and microvascular freetissue transfer, digital reimplantation, and breast reconstruction. Hippocrates famously introduced leech therapy to greece, but long before that the practice was well in use by ancient mesopotamians, mayans, aztecs and egyptians. Leech therapy is sometimes the best alternative in treating illnesses, and in some cases, may equal or exceed results obtained by pharmacological treatments. To provide guidelines for the use of leech therapy to decrease venous congestion after replant surgery or reconstructive surgery, thereby decompressing the region and improving arterial blood flow to the operative area. Leeches, training online, inspirational dvds leech therapy. The mouth of the leech has thr ee jaws, each of which has about 100 tiny teeth. New jersey hirudotherapy leeches therapy medicinal leeches.
Medicinal leech therapy mlt or hirudotherapy, an old technique, has been studied by many researchers for possible effects on various diseases such as in. Since longterm therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee has limited options and treatment carries substantial risk for serious adverse effects, new therapeutic approaches should be considered. Therapeutic importance of leech and impact of leech in domestic. In this book author comprises the possible indications of leech therapy along with procedures, safety concerns, historical perspective, surgical operative standards, and contraindication of the same described in traditional system of medicine. Leech therapy has healing and wellbeing benefits to the human body, and this traditional method of treating illness is still thriving today. Although leeches are unconventional and unpopular, they are slowly gaining spotlight as a few studies revolve around them, including those that claim how leeches can help diabetics.
Leech therapy is parasurgical treatment modality according to ayurveda. By the year 1997, a novel antithrombotic and anticoagulant pharmaceutical preparation was released to the russian markets under the trade name. Medicinal leech therapy in plastic surgery the pmfa journal. We describe a unique case of aeromonas meningitis associated with the use of leech therapy to salvage a skin flap after central nervous system surgery. Although actual bleeding is rarely seen in todays biomedical practice, medicinal leech therapy is still a common and valid form of treatment. For complete saturation of the medicinal leech enough from 40 minutes to a half hour. Nowadays, medicinal leech therapy hirudotherapy came back to the contemporary medicine with fewer applications, which were proven and supported by a huge number of scientific studies and case reports. Purged leech will be more difficult to attach after its initial application and it. Leeches have been used in medicine long time before bc. The use of this handout is to explain what leeches are, how they can help you, and what to expect during leech therapy. Repeated use of the leeches appears to improve the longterm results. Medicinal leech therapy ebook redwing book company. The medicinal leech hirudo medicinalis has played a role in treating illness for over 3500 years 1.
Medicinal leech therapy on head and neck patients oral surgery. It works by increasing the blood circulation through the scalp and the hair roots. After completing this continuingeducation activity, you should be able to. Raugi, md, phd, c seattle, washington medicinal leeches hirudo medicinalis have been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of conditions.
It is a method in which localized impure blood is let out to heal the tissue. Detoxification ayurveda treatments,leech therapy for blood. Pdf complementary medical methods have a long history, but modern. The history of the leech in medicine medicinal leeches are as old as the pyramids. During this process, medicinal leeches are used which suck the impure blood out and release certain enzymes in the blood which are supportive in increasing the immunity as well as the healing power of body. Medicinal leech therapy mlt or hirudotherapy is a kind of complementary and integrative treatment method applied with blood.
Professional leech therapy by a university trained traditional chinese medicine practitioner. In 2004, the food and drug administration fda approved leeches for medicinal purposes. Medicinal leech therapy can be traced back to the early civilization of mankind. Records indicate that egyptians used leech therapy over 3,500 years ago and leeches often mistakenly credited as cobras are included in the hieroglyphics painted on the walls.
Sanskrit writings described leech therapy from 1,300 bc on. After falling out of favor in the 19th century, medicinal leech therapy, or hirudotherapy, was revived in the 1980s to treat venous congestion after surgery. This article traces the use of leeches for bloodletting therapy from ancient greek times to the chapin harris era in the 1840s to modern day usage by plastic surgeons. Leech therapy is a blood purification therapy which is helpful in letting the toxic blood out of the body. Modern study of leech therapy began in the 1960s, when medicinal leech therapy achieved an international comeback, initially because of the spectacular results in plastic and reconstructive surgery for the treatment of postoperative venous congestion and graft rejections 10. Medicinal leech therapyan overall perspective sciencedirect. Medicinal leech therapy mlt or hirudotherapy, an old technique, has been studied by many researchers for possible effects on various diseases such as inflammatory diseases, osteoarthritis, and after different surgeries. Nevertheless, no international protocols on leech therapy instructions have been established, some reported that leech application for a week is sufficient to get good results18,52. Although this may seem like a very old treatment, strong scientific evidence supports the use of leeches for microvascular surgery surgery to repair tiny. This timely book introduces the basic principles of using leeches in clinical practice, and clearly sets out the. Medical leech therapy hirudotherapy our dermatology online. In this newly released book, which was initially published in germany in 2006 and subsequently translated into english, the authors quench the readers thirst for further knowledge by providing an overview of, as its title suggests, medicinal leech therapy. The first description of leech therapy, classified as blood letting, is found in the sushruta samhita, an ancient sanskrit medical text. Essential functions are breakingblood to expel stasis and stimulating the menstrual flow to eliminate abdominal mass.
Once used as an almost universal cure, leeches were largely abandoned by medicine but in the second half of the 20th century refound a role. As surgical success rate is directly impacted, an adapted antibiotic prophylaxis should be instituted in order to minimize these complications. It describes 12 types of leeches 6 poisonous and 6 nonpoisonous. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Training program for hirudotherapy medicinal leech therapy trainer konstantin sukhov, md, phd mobile. Contraindications and harms of treatment when deciding on the treatment of leech therapy, it is important to know the harm of treatment. An overview the leech is a freshwater amphibious worm, usually black or brown and about 10 cm in length. Leech therapy sounds thoroughly medieval however, it predates the medieval era by a substantial chunk of time. Any patient with a comrpmised immune system is at increased risk and probably should not have leech therapy. Medicinal leeches should never be stored in the fridge.
Hirudotherapy is a latin term used for the medicinal application of leeches to treat diseases. Baldness is a very common hair condition in which men and women lose hundreds of hairs from the scalp and other parts of the body every day. Leeches, as mentioned, are used in medical procedures and for treating various medical conditions. Jul 09, 20 this biggest risk of leech therapy appears to be infection. For therapeutic purposes, the human body is applied only hungry leeches that had not fed within the last 6 months. History of leech therapy hirudotherapy the healing art. The medicinal leech, hirudo medicinalis, is an excellent example of the use of invertebrates in the treatment of human disease. In greece, leech therapy was first introduced by a famous unani physician, hippocrates, also known as father of medicine. One or more leeches are attached to the skin of problematic area and the purpose is to gain potential utilities of leech saliva that.
Pdf abstract medical leeches have been parasitic organisms that have been used for medical treatment since years. To this day, a standardized protocol for medicinal leech therapy does not exist. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Medicinal leeches most often come from hungary or sweden. Ancient egyptians, indians, arabs, and greeks all used leeches therapeutically. Only 15 of the more than 600 of the known species are classified as. Its use has spanned centuries and is still used in plastic surgery practices today when performing free flaps and replants. Order base line hemoglobin and hematocrit at initiation of therapy and at least every other day. Medicinal leech therapy download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Diseases where leech therapy was indicated include skin diseases, sciatica, and musculoskeletal pains.
Hirudo medicinalis has widest therapeutic usage among the leeches, but worldwide, many different species were tested and. While the use of medicinal leech therapy mlt in reconstructive and orthopaedic surgery is widely described, postoperative complications related to leeches remain a major concern. Leech therapy medical leech therapy scottsdale, az. Aeromonas meningitis complicating medicinal leech therapy. The medicinal leech has a cylindrical, dorsoventrally flattened body. Medical leech therapy is part of the concept of the grekoarab unani system of medicine 1. Click download or read online button to get medicinal leech therapy book now. He is the president of the sydney branch of the toyohari medical association. We have not determined whether the positive outcome of the leech therapy is caused by active substances released during the leeching, the placebo effect, or the high expectations placed on this unusual treatment form. The leech is described as both a parasite and a therapeutic agent. Leech therapy in dermatology journal of pharmacognosy and. Medicinal leeches hirudo medicinalis have been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of conditions, today, the primary indication for leech ing is to. Venous congestion occurs when the veins that drain blood from a tissue are unable to do their job because of clotted blood within them or from external pressure on the draining vein.
1158 1598 1236 1382 876 942 751 240 1434 869 1113 1396 1351 45 1313 191 1195 699 1343 1461 442 1526 1519 1093 836 1020 158 56 920 724 1438 1053 501 674 669 741 420 80 1381 1436