Hirudotherapy for gout: how to treat sore joints with leeches

Metabolism

(
metabolism
) is a complex of various interrelated chemical reactions that occur in the human body and accompany its vital activity. Disturbances in the functioning of this complex process cause significant harm to health. There are many reasons that cause metabolic diseases. These are genetic and endocrine pathologies, unhealthy diet, inflammatory processes, age-related changes, and bad habits. Characteristic symptoms are excess weight or sudden loss, hair loss, brittle nails, swelling, shortness of breath, unhealthy skin color, increased fatigue and weakness.

Myth 5. Compression hosiery can get rid of varicose veins.

Currently, the treatment of varicose veins really involves wearing compression stockings. And for deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities, this is generally one of the main medical recommendations. After removal of varicose veins, wearing special jersey is necessary, but this is still not the main component of the treatment. Wearing elastic knitwear can relieve symptoms of varicose veins such as swelling, a feeling of fatigue and heaviness in the legs. In addition, the use of compression can slow down the development of existing varicose veins.

What is gout?

Gout is a joint disease that most often affects men over the age of 40.
However, these days it does not occur so often (about 3 cases per 1000 people). The problem is due to the fact that uric acid crystals are deposited in the joints and gradually lead to their destruction. Attacks are accompanied by inflammation of the problem area, severe pain, and the appearance of growths.

Arthritis and urolithiasis are typical complications of the disease.

Gout occurs in two cases: if the body produces an excessive amount of the mentioned acid or with kidney diseases that do not have time to remove the normal amount of the substance.

However, the true causes of the disease are:

- unbalanced diet (abundance of purines, fatty foods, overeating),

- obesity,

- excessive alcohol consumption,

- sedentary lifestyle,

- hereditary predisposition.

Treatment consists of diet and exercise. Hirudotherapy has proven itself to be an excellent auxiliary tool.

The effectiveness of treatment with leeches is due to the fact that enzymes in their saliva restore blood microcirculation.

Hirudin, destabilase, viburnum, eglins, apilase, hirustazin and other substances reduce blood viscosity, improve nutrition of the problem area, and cleanse blood vessels. As a result, swelling and inflammation disappear.

The fact that the leech sucks out bad blood with a high concentration of uric acid also has a positive effect on the affected joint. This stimulates the lymph nodes to begin actively producing lymph, which has a beneficial effect on the blood supply to the organs and strengthens the immune system.

Myth 6. Apitherapy (treatment with bees) will relieve varicose veins.

The healing properties of bee venom, which can activate physiological processes in the human body, have been known for a long time. Beekeeping specialists claim that the components of bee venom, in particular hirudin, can dissolve blood clots in the veins, relieve pain and venous network. In fact, as a result of a bee sting at the location of varicose nodes, you can easily damage the walls of the veins and get thrombophlebitis. Therefore, if you are planning to be treated with apitherapy, measure seven times!

Medical leech (Hiruda medicinalis)

The therapeutic effect of leeches is determined by the properties of the secretion of the salivary glands of the leech, which enters the patient’s body after the leech bites the skin and continues to enter the patient’s bloodstream throughout the entire period of blood sucking.

The secretion is an inhibitor of the platelet-vascular component of hemostasis. It blocks general adhesion and primary attachment of platelets to the surface of collagen, which is exposed when the vascular wall is damaged. The secretion blocks platelet aggregation. The secretion of leeches inhibits the initial stages of the cascade of protein activation of the blood coagulation system by blocking blood plasma kallikrein and Hageman factor. These properties of the secretion determine the protective antithrombotic effect of hirudotherapy.

The destabilase and leech “prostanoids” contained in the secretion cause the thrombolytic effect when using medicinal leeches. Destabilase hydrolyzes isopeptide bonds. The action of destabilase determines previously unknown mechanisms of fibrinolysis - isopeptidolysis. Compounds of a prostanoid nature found in the secretion, which, like stable analogues of prostacyclin, inhibit platelet aggregation and stimulate the secretion of tissue plasminogen activator from the vascular wall.

Systematically administered hirudotherapy reduces the severity of atherosclerosis. The ability of the secretion of the salivary glands of medicinal leeches to reduce the proliferative ability of smooth muscle cells in the intima of large human vessels affected by atherosclerosis and to cause hydrolysis of glycerol triolate and cholesterol oleate has been established.

The anti-inflammatory effect of leech secretion is due to its ability to block the amidolytic and kininogenase activities of human plasma kallikrein. This blocks the formation of kinins, which are mediators of inflammation.

In addition, kininases found in the secretion reduce the activity of bradykinin, which stimulates pain; thereby providing an analgesic effect. The enzyme apyrase cleaves the phosphoric acid residue from ATP and therefore has an anti-inflammatory effect during the development of inflammation stimulated by ATP. Eglins, inhibitors of elastase and cathepsin G of human granulocytes, have a significant anti-inflammatory effect.

The secretion of the salivary glands of medicinal leeches exhibits a pronounced bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect, which is determined by the symbiote bacterium that lives in the intestinal canal of the leech.

Hyaluronidase contained in the secretion of leeches changes the permeability of tissues, the degree of their hydration, accelerates the transport of water and ions, and facilitates the penetration of biologically active substances of the secretion into the body during hirudotherapy. An increase in the permeability of tissues and capillary walls is achieved by depolymerization and breakdown of hyaluronic acid, one of the components of the main substance of connective tissue.

Biologically active compounds of leech secretion ensure the successful use of hirudotherapy to normalize microcirculation and “engraftment” of autografts during reconstructive surgery. The collagenase contained in the secretion ensures the resorption of scar tissue.

The secretion of medicinal leeches has a general nonspecific effect on the human body, evidence of which is an increase in the phagocytic activity of blood neutrophils due to the effect of the components of the secretion on the complement system.

Leech bites cause stimulation of certain reflexogenic zones.

Myth 14. In summer, treatment of varicose veins should be postponed until autumn.

For some reason, it is in Russia that there is an opinion that you should not undergo treatment in the summer. In hot countries, they are of the opinion that if a problem has appeared, there is no point in delaying its treatment.

Indeed, some people decide to have surgery during a more comfortable cool period. But here everyone makes a choice for themselves - to postpone solving a problem that is dangerous due to possible complications, or to get rid of the disease in a few days and enjoy the summer without varicose veins. In fact, modern phlebology does not depend on the seasons.

What joint diseases are treated with leeches?

Hirudotherapy treats the following joint problems:

• arthrosis (knee, hip, elbow, shoulder), (treatment of arthrosis with leeches)
• arthritis, (treatment of arthritis with leeches)
• deformation of joints due to gout,
• polyarthritis.

You can sign up for a hirudotherapy session in Odintsovo by calling us by phone or sending an application online.

Carrying out a treatment procedure

Leeches are placed in the kidney area and on damaged joints. No more than 5 worms are allowed to be used in one session. The rehabilitation period after hirudotherapy ranges from 5 days to a week. There are about 8 sessions in total. Duration of treatment is 1.5-2 months.

How to place a leech.

The first installation of leeches is carried out by a specialist. In the future, it is possible to treat independently, at home. How does a hirudotherapy session work:

• treatment is carried out in a sitting or lying position;
• the skin is treated with antiseptic solutions that do not contain alcohol and coloring substances, for example, Chlorhexidine or Miramistin;
• The leech is removed from the glass container with tweezers or a wide spatula and placed on the selected area of ​​the body;
• the annelid worm bites through the skin to a depth of approximately 0.2 cm. It becomes saturated within 20-60 minutes, depending on its activity and size;
• if the leech does not fall off on its own, then a swab moistened with alcohol or a concentrated saline solution is applied to its body (you can simply sprinkle the worm with a little salt);
• After the leech falls off, bleeding usually continues. It is stopped by applying a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Doctors do not recommend using iodine and brilliant green - the permeability of the skin at the site of the bite is increased, and there is a risk of chemical burns.

During the procedure, discomfort may occur at the very beginning, when a person instinctively tenses in anticipation of a bite. A slight burning sensation caused by the action of bioactive substances on tissues damaged by biting is allowed. Leech saliva has an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and vasoconstrictor effect. But it is not advisable to carry out hirudotherapy during exacerbation of gout. At this stage, drugs are used to quickly cleanse the body of uric acid and its salts. Their use will not give the expected effect, since in addition to the active ingredients of the drugs, substances from the saliva of annelids will circulate in the blood.

Cost of consultation?

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Diabetes

– a chronic endocrine disease associated with impaired glucose absorption and a deficiency in the production of its own insulin. Characteristic manifestations are a constant feeling of thirst, an increase in the amount of urine excreted, increased appetite, weakness, fatigue, prolonged wound healing, and itchy skin. Dangerous complications of diabetes are stroke, kidney failure, heart attack, blindness, hypo- or hyperglycemic coma. The causes of the development of the disease are lesions of the pancreas, viral infections, autoimmune and genetic diseases, nutritional disorders, and prolonged stress. Treatment of diabetes is aimed at lowering blood glucose levels, normalizing metabolism and eliminating possible complications. The recommendations of specialists and nutritionists will have to be followed for life. This includes adherence to a strict diet and nutrition regimen, regular administration of insulin, monitoring your well-being, and moderate physical activity.

Gout

characterized by the formation of uric acid in the body, which leads to deposits of sodium and potassium salts in the articular cartilage and kidneys. This is a chronic disease that causes swelling and inflammation. The causes of gout can be genetic abnormalities, kidney pathology with impaired kidney function, alcohol, excess nutrition, and a sedentary lifestyle. Characteristic symptoms are severe pain in the joint of the 1st toe with hyperemia of the skin over it. In the future, joint deformation, bone tissue growth, gouty nodules and other unpleasant ailments may occur. The main principle of treating gout is to control the content of uric acid and remove it from the body as quickly as possible. The patient is recommended to adhere to a special diet that excludes the consumption of meat and fish broths, legumes and some vegetables. Drug therapy is aimed at relieving pain and preventing salt deposition in the joints and kidneys.

Obesity

– excessive deposits of adipose tissue in the subcutaneous tissue or organs. The disease causes significant physical discomfort and increases the risk of heart attack, coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, as well as impaired renal and liver function, deformation of bones and joints. Obese patients usually suffer from hypertension and cardiovascular dysfunction. Obesity can progress! How to avoid obesity and its consequences? The main causes of the disease are a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, endocrine and genetic pathologies, stress, taking hormonal drugs, pregnancy, postmenopause. Treatment for obesity begins with a strict diet and exercise. The main thing is the patient’s own desire and willingness to achieve weight loss. Drug therapy is prescribed when nutritional therapy is ineffective for 12 weeks or more. Prevention of obesity - a healthy lifestyle, moderation in food, dosed physical activity. If there is a hereditary predisposition to the disease or endocrine disorders, it is recommended to seek advice from specialists to draw up an individual program to combat excess weight.

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Prices for treating gout with leeches

Treatment prices depend on the amount of biomaterial used. The hirudotherapist develops a program taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

The above treatment regimen is general in nature and is adjusted in each specific case.

To obtain optimal results, you need to contact proven hirudotherapy centers. Only in this case will you be confident both in the professionalism of the doctor and in the quality of the leeches.

I treat gout and other metabolic diseases using environmentally friendly biomaterial from biofactories.

Hirudotherapy procedure for gout from 1500 rubles

The cost of the hirudotherapy procedure for gout starts from 1,500 rubles

Hirudotherapy for the treatment of gout, placement of 3 leeches – 1500 rubles

Hirudotherapy in the treatment of gout placement of 5 leeches – 2500 rubles

The procedure for treating gout with leeches from 1500 rubles

Gout treatment procedure: placement of 3 leeches - 1500 rubles