Diagnosis by X-ray.
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is practiced to place leeches on biologically active points. The saliva of annelids contains a huge amount of useful substances with anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous, and analgesic properties. And the reflexogenic effect leads to improved blood circulation in the vertebral structures affected by osteochondrosis and their partial regeneration.
Description of the procedure
Hirudotherapy is one of the measures in the complex treatment of osteochondrosis. Medical leeches are placed on the back of the neck, mainly in the area of damaged intervertebral discs and vertebrae. The first two sessions are accompanied by incomplete exposure. This means that the annelids are forcibly separated from the patient's body half an hour after they are placed. During this time, they inject a sufficient amount of bioactive substances into the systemic bloodstream.
The third session lasts at least an hour, during which the leeches suck out about 5 ml of blood. Then they are removed, but more often the annelids fall off on their own, as they manage to be completely satisfied. Bleeding from a small wound is stopped by firm compression with sterile cotton wool, and only after a few hours the bite site is treated with an antiseptic solution.
Placement points for leeches for cervical osteochondrosis.
Reviews
Hirudotherapy is widely popular and gives excellent results. However, finding a qualified specialist with extensive experience in this field of medicine is quite difficult.
The use of leeches has an excellent analgesic and relaxing effect. Improvement in well-being is observed after visiting the first session of hirudotherapy.
Hirudotherapy is more effective in combination with the use of manual therapy . Naturopathy, a branch of medicine that also includes treatment with leeches, is increasingly in demand. Patients are also attracted by the assurances of hirudotherapists that each leech is used only once. However, the cost of each procedure is not small and not everyone can afford it.
It is not correct to use hirudotherapy as the only treatment method that will help get rid of the problem once and for all. This method will only help get rid of the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis for a certain period of time . However, if the courses of treatment are not regular, all symptoms will return again.
The effectiveness of hirudotherapy for osteochondrosis
The main therapeutic effect of using medicinal leeches is due to the chemical composition of their saliva. It contains a large amount of the anticoagulant hirudin, which prevents blood clotting by inhibiting the enzyme thrombin. Leeches bite through the skin in places where venous blood accumulates, which they recognize by their slightly elevated temperature. After injection of saliva into the systemic bloodstream, a diverse effect on the body of a patient with cervical osteochondrosis is noted:
- the outflow of venous blood improves;
- the severity of pain in the neck decreases;
- inflammatory processes caused by damage to soft tissues by osteophytes (bone growths) are stopped;
- microcirculation is normalized;
- The body's defenses are strengthened due to an increase in the number of lymphocytes.
Acceleration of blood circulation leads to replenishment of nutrients in damaged cartilage, bone, and soft tissues. Recovery processes are now proceeding much faster, and with cervical osteochondrosis of grade 1 severity, partial restoration of the intervertebral discs is even noted.
How leeches affect the body
Placing leeches at acupuncture points has a reflexogenic effect on the human body. When they bite through the skin, receptors located in the subcutaneous tissue are irritated. Impulses begin to flow into the central nervous system, stimulating the production of anti-inflammatory bioactive substances and endorphins that improve human well-being. There is a significant decrease in the severity of clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis:
- stiffness of movements disappears due to relaxation of skeletal muscles and elimination of muscle spasms;
- the severity of swelling decreases as a result of slowing down the migration of leukocytes and macrophages into inflammatory foci and improving lymph flow.
After several sessions of hirudotherapy, clicks, crunching, and crackling noises disappear when bending or turning the head. The likelihood of strangulation of the vertebral artery and spinal roots by osteophytes or displaced intervertebral discs is also reduced.
Opinions of doctors and patients
Taking into account the opinions of doctors who treat SCH and those patients who have undergone hirudotherapy sessions, we can note the positive dynamics of the recovery process.
Such treatment can only be an additional method that does not replace medical consultation and medication.
The naturopathic method has proven itself most effectively in healing diseases of blood vessels, joints and connective tissues, gynecological problems and neurological ailments. Hirudotherapy can cause harm only if you try to use it yourself, due to ignorance of the treatment regimen and the inability to apply leeches.
Which leeches are suitable for this procedure?
In the treatment of any pathologies, only medicinal leeches (lat. Hirudo medicinalis) are used. They live in closed fresh water bodies, feeding on the blood of people and animals. But it is not advisable to use such annelids in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, since their saliva may contain an insufficient amount of bioactive substances.
Leeches for the needs of medical institutions are grown in special factories. They are mobile, without damage, of medium size, weighing up to 3 grams. Healthy annelids are sure to stick to the skin when you immerse your hand in a container.
Treatment at home
The procedure can be carried out at home, after consulting with your doctor:
- bring the worm with the front sucker to the prepared skin, wait for the bite;
- if treatment takes less than half an hour, the leech will not fall off on its own, so bring a cotton swab dipped in a strong-smelling substance to it;
- disposal occurs by placing the worm in a container with chloramine.
We talked about other methods of treating SCH at home in a separate article.
Places where they put it and photos
- Two points located at the level of 5-6 vertebrae at the base of the neck, on either side of the central axis.
- The third point is localized on the 7th cervical vertebra, the remaining zones are located symmetrically in the collar area.
Leeches can also be placed along the spine or in areas of pain.
Below are photos that show where to place the leeches:
The treatment of SCH can be facilitated by folk remedies, manual therapy, wearing a collar, acupuncture and massage.
Session rules
Depending on the severity of cervical osteochondrosis, patients are prescribed up to 10 sessions of hirudotherapy. But the procedures are not carried out daily, but intermittently. The recommended interval between sessions is 5 days. During this time, the body has time to fully recover, and all bioactive substances are removed from the bloodstream.
The placement of leeches is also practiced for preventive purposes to reduce the likelihood of exacerbations of pathology. In such cases, a time interval of at least a month should be maintained between courses.
Preparing for the session
Annelids are very sensitive and selective. Even despite hunger, they do not stick to the skin if it smells strongly. Therefore, before a hirudotherapy session, you should not use perfumes, deodorants or hygiene products with fragrances. About a day before the procedure, it is forbidden to consume products that give the skin an odor that can be easily detected by medicinal leeches. These are onions, garlic, spices, for example, black and allspice, cardamom, paprika, coriander.
If the patient smoked or drank alcohol even 5-6 hours before the session, then the annelid, having attached itself, may immediately fall off. It quickly recognizes traces of nicotine, tobacco tar, and ethyl alcohol metabolites in the blood.
In some medical institutions, patients are advised not to combine hirudotherapy with massage procedures or manual therapy sessions. When carrying out such activities, there is a risk of microtrauma of soft tissues, and, consequently, their infection when placing leeches.
How many leeches are used in one session?
When calculating the required number of annelids, the patient's weight and general health condition are taken into account. During the first sessions, 2-3 leeches are usually installed. If no complications arise, including local adverse reactions to hirudotherapy, then the number of worms is increased to 6 individuals. A maximum of 10 leeches are used, but in this case they are installed not only on the bioactive points of the back of the neck, but also on other areas of the back.
Often, during the process of hirudotherapy, the doctor decides to increase the number of annelids. The reason for this is the pronounced therapeutic effect in the absence of side local and systemic manifestations.
How to behave during treatment
During the course of hirudotherapy, it is prohibited to drink alcohol, smoke, or make significant adjustments to the diet. The use of products with fragrances is undesirable even during a 5-day break between sessions, since against the background of accelerated blood circulation there is a risk of developing allergic reactions. For therapy to be effective, medical recommendations should be followed:
- After the session, you cannot immediately lie down on your back, as the bleeding may not stop for a long time;
- Do not cauterize the wound formed after a bite with alcohol-containing antiseptic solutions.
When an annelid worm bites through the skin, only mild discomfort occurs. They disappear quickly, so no additional pain relief is required.
Contraindications to hirudotherapy
An absolute contraindication to treatment with medicinal leeches is hemophilia. This is a serious pathology, which is characterized by blood clotting disorders. The presence of even one annelid will pose a threat not only to the health, but also to the life of the patient. Hirudotherapy sessions are not prescribed to patients who are diagnosed with the following pathological conditions:
- hemolysis, or destruction of red blood cells with the release of hemoglobin into the environment;
- anemia, including iron deficiency;
- tuberculosis of various localizations;
- benign and malignant neoplasms;
- weakening or exhaustion of the body.
Hirudotherapy is contraindicated in cases of low blood pressure, as it can cause fainting. Medical leeches are not used in the treatment of patients with individual intolerance to the bioactive substances contained in their saliva.
Effect of use
It should be noted that hirudotherapy for osteochondrosis helps achieve the following results:
- reduction of radicular syndrome;
- normalization of blood flow in the cervical region;
- increasing the efficiency of metabolic reactions in all parts of the spine;
- elimination of dizziness and severe headaches;
- disappearance of nervous tension;
- strengthening the immune system;
- improved sleep.
In the process of therapeutic therapy for osteochondrosis in the cervical region, most people get rid of prejudices and understand that applying leeches is not so scary. And if we take into account all the benefits of their use, they are rather surprised how they could have been in the grip of unreasonable fear for so long.
Expected results
Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative-destructive pathology that cannot yet be completely cured. Therefore, therapy is aimed at achieving a stage of stable remission, which is characterized by the absence of severe symptoms, and preventing the negative consequences of the pathology. For this purpose, a complex of health-improving measures is carried out, one of which is hirudotherapy.
Treatment with leeches is indicated only after relief of severe pain that occurs in the acute and subacute period.