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September 17, 2001
Osteoarthritis patients may find relief of pain and inflammation with the help of leeches, suggests a recent pilot study on osteoarthritis of the knee.
According to an article published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the study focused on 16 patients that had persistent knee pain for more than six months. At an average age of 68, none had sustained knee injuries and all had x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis. Exercises, physiotherapy, relaxation techniques, and dietary changes were already part of their treatment program.
Leech therapy was tried on 10 patients, eight of whom were women. Six others were given conventional treatment for pain. Four leeches were applied to the painful knee and left in place for one hour and 20 minutes. Pain measures were recorded three days before the start of the treatment and 28 days afterwards it had finished.
Leech treatment produced rapid pain relief after three days, with the greatest effects registered 24 hours after treatment. The effects were sustained four weeks later. There were no side effects or infections, although patients described the initial leech bite as slightly painful. Pain relief was not evident in those treated conventionally.
The authors commented that leech therapy had previously been used to relieve pain and inflammation, but fell out of favor last century. They add that there are plausible explanations for the effectiveness of leech therapy, because leech saliva contains various analgesic, anesthetic, and histamine-like compounds
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