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Arthrosis is a degenerative process that affects the cartilage tissue of one or more joints. In this regard, treatment must be comprehensive. In some cases, it is impossible to completely restore the normal structure of cartilage, but it is possible to improve the function of the joints, stop the development of the disease, and improve the patient’s quality of life.
The disease often affects the knee joint. This may be due to excess body weight, increased stress on the knees, age-related changes, and lifestyle. And if at the first stage the symptoms do not interfere with normal life, then as the disease develops, significant limitations may appear: decreased activity, difficulty walking, severe pain. It is important to start therapy on time to prevent the rapid development of the disease and get rid of painful symptoms.
Treatment of arthrosis with leeches is one of the effective methods, often acting as an alternative to injection methods of correction. The main advantage of hirudotherapy is low trauma compared to surgery and intra-articular administration of drugs. This method is especially effective in the initial stages of the development of the disease. But even in later stages it is used to reduce the severity of the manifestations of the disease.
The mechanism of action of leeches for arthrosis
The therapeutic value of treatment with leeches is explained by the content of biologically active substances in saliva: peptides, enzymes, natural anticoagulants. Once in the bloodstream, they stimulate metabolic and reparative processes, improve blood supply to tissues, by reducing swelling of the intercellular spaces and eliminating venous stasis, and relieve pain.
Treatment of arthrosis involves placing leeches on the knee joint area. One leech can absorb up to 15 ml of blood, such blood loss is safe for health. There are several main therapeutic effects of hirudotherapy:
- normalization of blood circulation in tissues. Blood flow improves, congestion is eliminated, tissues receive more oxygen and nutrients. This promotes accelerated regeneration;
- relieving inflammatory processes. A number of enzymes in leech saliva help relieve inflammation, relieve swelling, and remove pathological exudate from tissues;
- pain relief and discomfort reduction. Thanks to the effects described above, the normal range of motion of the joint is restored, and the analgesic components help relieve the main acute symptoms. The effect can be assessed after the first session.
Leeches and their effect on the body
The therapeutic effectiveness of treatment with leeches is due to the presence of biologically active substances and enzymes in leech secretions. After these substances penetrate the circulatory system, metabolic processes improve, local and general immunity increases, blood viscosity normalizes, and blood clots resolve.
Leeches stick to the knee area exactly where biologically active points are located. The worm instinctively finds an area to suction, after which it bites and begins to drink blood. Treatment of the knee with leeches has a positive effect on structures affected by arthrosis:
- Blood circulation is activated. The beneficial substances contained in leech saliva saturate the blood with nutrients, fat- and water-soluble vitamins. Thanks to improved blood circulation, damaged intra-articular structures regenerate and recover faster.
- Inflammation is reduced. Leech saliva has an anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous effect, due to which pathological exudate ceases to accumulate in the joint cavity, which helps reduce inflammatory complications and swelling.
- Pathological symptoms are eliminated. The salivary glands of leeches produce specific substances that have an analgesic and analgesic effect. Already after the first session of hirudotherapy, patients note a decrease in pain and muscle spasms.
Features of treatment
The use of leeches for the treatment of knee arthrosis is possible only on the recommendation of a specialist. It is important to undergo preliminary basic diagnostics in order to assess the feasibility of the procedures and exclude possible contraindications. One course of treatment can cope with the full range of symptoms and significantly improve the condition, especially when it comes to stages 1–2 of the disease.
Stage 3 arthrosis requires a more serious approach, but even in this case, hirudotherapy can significantly help - eliminate pain and stop further destruction of cartilage tissue.
The method may precede surgery or be recommended after surgery, including as a way to more quickly restore damaged tissue.
Hirudotherapy for arthritis and arthrosis
Treatment of joints with leeches is carried out only as prescribed by a doctor. A course of hirudotherapy for arthrosis and arthritis helps eliminate almost all clinical symptoms of pathologies. A special effect from hirudotherapy can be achieved for degenerative diseases diagnosed at stages 1–2. At this stage of development, the intra-articular tissues are not severely damaged, and biological substances that penetrate the affected tissues contribute to their restoration and prevent the progression of pathology.
For arthrosis and stage 3 arthritis, a course of hirudotherapy allows you to get rid of constant pain and swelling. At an advanced stage, patients are prescribed surgical treatment. The use of leeches before surgery will help to avoid complications in the postoperative period, and after surgery to speed up recovery and recovery.
Indications and restrictions
Treatment of arthrosis with leeches can be indicated for any degree of the disease.
The main contraindications include the following diseases:
- malignant neoplasms;
- tuberculosis;
- anemia, decrease in hemoglobin below 100 g/l, including iron deficiency;
- hemophilia and other blood diseases, hemorrhagic syndrome;
- cachexia.
The procedure is not performed on pregnant women.
A little history of hirudotherapy
The method of treatment with leeches has been known since the times of the Egyptian pharaohs. In our country, it began to be actively used in the 18-19 centuries. for cardiovascular diseases, as well as local inflammations - edema, injuries, boils and carbuncles. There are known cases of curing even the most serious diseases with the help of medicinal leeches. In Soviet times, the technique was banned, considering it potentially dangerous from the point of view of possible blood poisoning.
In fact, this is almost impossible, since the leech can only suck blood and cannot release it back into the body of the next patient. In addition, leeches are not reused, since they are not ready to attach when well fed.
Interest in hirudotherapy fell in the middle of the last century against the background of the rapid development of pharmacology. Scientists have concluded that it is much more effective to treat with pills than with traditional methods. Over time, it became obvious that there are no cures for all diseases. Therefore, at the beginning of the 21st century, doctors again paid attention to the forgotten hirudotherapy.
Leeches were used for treatment back in the days of the Egyptian pharaohs.
Results of treatment with leeches for arthrosis
Thanks to hirudotherapy, the following results can be obtained:
- relieve pain and active inflammatory process;
- reduce or stop tissue swelling, restore normal mobility to the joint;
- restore mobility of the lower extremities;
- prevent the progression of the disease, reduce the risk of developing associated diseases/complications;
- normalize muscle tone and blood flow;
- speed up recovery processes, including after operations.
The use of leeches for the treatment of arthrosis
Hirudotherapy is recognized as one of the effective methods for treating joint and cartilage diseases. The effect of special medical leeches on joints and tissues is similar to the pharmacological effect of chondoprotective drugs: it protects healthy tissue and regenerates damaged tissue, and prevents the spread of pathology.
In most patients, after using this technique, their condition improves, pain decreases, and the main symptoms disappear. The use of leeches in the postoperative period helps restore damaged muscles and periarticular tissues.
Preparation for the procedure
To begin treatment with leeches, no complicated preparation is required. But patients with arthrosis should follow several recommendations: stop taking anticoagulants in consultation with the doctor, refuse heavy foods, and adhere to a proper diet. On the day of leeching, it is better not to smoke or use perfumes or cosmetics with fragrances.
It is important to warn your doctor if you are taking medications that suppress the immune system. If the clinical case allows, the specialist will recommend interrupting the course of treatment for a while.
Technique for performing hirudotherapy procedures in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment with leeches should be carried out by an experienced doctor, a specialist in this field. Since only he can determine how many leeches need to be used and in what place to install them in order to achieve maximum effect.
Most often 4-6 pieces are used. They are taken by hand near the head and placed in the right place. Leeches are placed on the patient’s skin one at a time, only after the previous one has suctioned. After the required amount has been established, it is necessary to put gauze under them so that there is no possibility of sucking on the back part. Leeches for arthrosis of the knee joint are arranged in a circle, with 1 or 2 leeches placed on the most painful places, pain points that appear during examination.
The location of the tender points may depend on the position of the joint. They are most likely to be found at muscle attachment points. Therefore, in this area the number of leeches should be greatest.
If the pain occurs in the area of the kneecap, then they are placed along the edge of the patella. During the installation process, you should pay attention to the fact that the thickness of the skin is dense, since the success and effectiveness of hirudotherapy depends on this. After the session is completed, the leech should fall off the skin on its own, or the doctor will remove it.
Progress of the procedure
Before the session begins, the doctor develops an individual treatment regimen. The doctor will determine the number and duration of sessions, evaluate and determine placement points. It is important to undergo an initial examination and provide the specialist with information about your condition. Additional advanced diagnostics may be required to rule out contraindications.
To treat arthrosis of the knee joint, sterile leeches grown under special conditions are used. Each leech is used only once and then disposed of. This is a safety requirement for the patient and the main condition for the prevention of complications and accidental infection.
Also, to prevent complications, the skin of the knee is treated with a special disinfectant solution. The setting points are determined by the hirudotherapist, taking into account individual characteristics, severity of symptoms, and stage of the disease. The doctor places several leeches around the knee joint. The leech bites through an area of skin and sucks out 5–15 ml of blood. Mechanical impact on biologically active points stimulates restoration processes, and salivary substances enter the bloodstream, stimulating the main therapeutic effects.
The procedure takes 30–60 minutes. As a rule, leeches disappear on their own, having had enough blood. If this does not happen, the doctor carefully helps them with tweezers or gauze with a certain impregnation. After this, sterile dressings are applied to the treated areas. Bleeding of damaged areas of the skin can occur from several hours to days. This is due to the fact that anticoagulants from the saliva of leeches circulate in the bloodstream for some time and prevent rapid healing. At this time, it is better to limit physical activity and avoid hot baths.
The treatment regimen is developed individually. It depends on the general state of health, the age of the patient, the severity of the disease, and the severity of symptoms. Usually 8–12 sessions are enough to obtain lasting improvement and stable well-being. You can repeat the course of hirudotherapy no earlier than after 6–8 weeks, your doctor will tell you about this.
Features of hirudotherapy
In recent years, the treatment of joint pathologies with medicinal leeches has gained popularity. For almost a hundred years, this method of therapy was undeservedly forgotten. The reason for this was the synthesis of pharmacological drugs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, muscle relaxants, which quickly cope with stiffness, swelling of the joints, acute or aching pain. But the drugs are not intended for long-term therapy of arthrosis, as they have a toxic effect on internal organs and bone tissue.
Cartilage of a diseased knee joint.
Leeches also ceased to be used due to the spread of rumors about them as a source of infection with various infectious diseases. There is an opinion that when an annelid worm drinks the blood of one person, then when it is injected into another patient, bacteria and viruses will be injected into the systemic bloodstream. But the leech’s digestive tract is structured in a very unique way. While she is feeding, her blood moves only in one direction - inward. The reverse movement occurs only after a couple of hours, when the “food” is completely digested and absorbed. If a well-fed worm is immediately applied to another person’s knee, it will fall off, since his body is full of blood .
Hirudotherapy is an auxiliary method of treating many diseases. It is used to improve the patient’s well-being with arterial hypertension, thrombophlebitis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. But hirudotherapy for arthrosis is also used as a pathogenetic treatment. Leech treatment is combined with a course of chondroprotectors, massage, and exercise therapy.
Butcher's doctor about leeches:
Are there any contraindications to hirudotherapy?
Treatment with leeches is not carried out with the following clinical picture or history:
- malignant tumors;
- active phase of tuberculosis;
- epilepsy;
- mental disorders;
- chronic arterial hypotension;
- acute renal, liver, heart failure;
- severe iron deficiency anemia;
- diabetes;
- diseases of the hematopoietic system;
- pregnancy;
- children and old age.
Hirudotherapy is contraindicated for older people