Bee Sting Therapy For Arthritis Pain Relief - Is This a Joke

As far back as around 400 B.C., Hippocrates - the Greek physician commonly referred to as the "father of medicine", used bee venom to treat joint pain and swelling, in fact bee venom therapy has been around for thousands of years.

Reference's to the treatment can be found in ancient Egypt and Greek medical writings.

Also known as apitherapy, the technique is more widely used in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. Today many people still find the stings of honeybees helpful when addressing conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis.

Honeybee venom contains many active substances one of which is 'Mellitin', an anti-inflammatory agent which is known to be more than one hundred times stronger than cortisone.

These substances stimulate the body's release of the hormone cortisol as well as neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, all of which can help relieve the pain, stiffness and swelling of arthritis.

Caution.... Allergic Reactions

Yes it does sound like a quick fix for your arthritis pain, however, unfortunately bee stings are noted for triggering an allergic reactions called 'Anaphylaxis' or  Anaphylaxis shock.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type of allergic reaction, so caution should be shown if you are considering this course of treatment.

Is Bee Venom A Proven Technique?

Although bee venom therapy is largely an unproven technique, a small number of U.S physicians have reported good results using the substance to treat arthritic conditions.

Treatments of honeybee venom therapy, or 'Apitherapy' supposedly started after bee-keepers, who were stung many times, noticed their arthritis pains were relieved. Some practitioners still use live bee stings to deliver the venom.

Bee stings are by no means a cure-all & there's no way of knowing if they will work for you, without trying, which could be dangerous without the appropriate medical supervision. And to cap it all, we shouldn't forget bee stings are not pleasant.

If you do decide you would like to try bee stings, speak with your doctor.  It's important that you be prepared for a severe allergic reaction by having a bee sting allergy kit on hand - even if you've never reacted negatively to bee stings in the past. Although the side effects of bee-venom therapy usually are mild, an allergic reaction to a sting could potentially be deadly.

Is  Apitherapy a Viable Option For My Arthritis?

It's true that bee stings may help your arthritis, but in my opinion should probably be avoided, due to the risk involved. The good news is Less barbaric natural methods exist and could prove far more user friendly and even more effective in relieving all kinds of arthritis pain and inflammation

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