|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Bee Venom Therapy |
|
by Andrew Kochan, MD People and physicians have used bees and bee products for healing for thousands of years. Hippocrates wrote about using bee stings and Alexander the Great was successfully treated for gout with bee stings. Beekeepers have always known about the health benefits of being stung by bees. In the era of modern medicine, with the availability of pharmaceuticals, the use and benefits of bee venom, either from a live bee or injectable venom from a bottle, has been largely forgotten. In fact, physicians who have tried to bring attention to the clinical usefulness of bee venom have been ridiculed and sometimes persecuted. There are some intrepid persons, both doctors and lay persons, who continue to investigate clinical applications for bee venom. There are some medical conditions for which conventional western medicine has no remedy, for which bee venom is useful. Among these are:
Other conditions bee venom is useful for which conventional medicine has mixed results are:
A test "sting" of bee venom is done prior to initiating treatment, so as to detect any possible allergy to bee venom (this is present in about 1% of people). Treatments are usually done twice a week. Response is usually noted within 2-3 days. Redness, swelling, and itching are normal responses to bee venom and indicate a healthy immune system, not an allergic reaction. Adequate nutrition including vitamin supplements and functional adrenal glands are necessary for optimal response to bee venom treatment. For more information about the use of bee venom you can read the following articles and go to the web site of the American Apitherapy Society. . Related Links The following are links to various published papers and organizations of interest:
|