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- When it makes sense
- Facts about the therapy
- What the leeches cause
When it makes sense
Athros in the knee runs slowly for a long time, only in the later stage the patients suffer from pain. In addition to medication and physiotherapy, it has also been proven to treat the complaints with leeches n .
Facts about the therapy
To treat osteoarthritis with leeches, the parasites are deposited on the aching knee. The number of leeches used depends on the age, weight and illness of the patient. According to one study, a single treatment with four to six leeches can help around 70 to 80 percent of all patients.
What the leeches cause
The leech saliva contains a unique cocktail of active ingredients that can alleviate the discomfort of osteoarthritis in the knee. It contains approximately 30 different substances that have not yet been fully investigated, including hylarunidase or collagenase. Through the bite of the parasite they enter the inflamed joint. The treatment with the saliva should not only have anti-inflammatory effect, but also eliminate congestion.
When does a therapy with leeches make sense?
Treating arthrosis in the knee with leeches is usually recommended when it is certain that the therapy has at least a moderate effect on pain and function in the joint. It is also important that serious side effects can be excluded by the small parasite in the patient. Mostly, the treatment is only performed when all other options have been exhausted.
Possible side effects
The bite of a leech is usually not very painful. It is perceived by patients at most as a stinging nettle, instinctual stitch, syringe drop or as light pulling. A saliva-containing histamine-like substance may cause symptoms such as "healing itch" after treatment, which is similar to the itching of a mosquito bite. Rare side effects and complications that may occur are: profuse bleeding during the session, prolonged and severe rebleeding following treatment, and itchy redness. It can also lead to wound infections, local swelling, pigmentation disorders or scarring at the bite site.
