As far back as 400 B.C., Hippocrates - the Greek physician, used bee venom to treat joint pain and swelling, in fact bee venom therapy has been with us since the birth of medicine itself. Reference’s to the treatment go all the way back to ancient Egypt and Greece. The medical or correct name for the procedure is ‘Apitherapy’, the technique is more widely used in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. Today many people still find this therapy helpful when addressing conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA).

Bee venom contains an active substance called ‘Mellitin’, which is an anti-inflammatory agent known to be around one hundred times stronger than cortisone. Mellitin is known to 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…. Anaphylaxis Shock Can Kill

Perhaps apitherapy sounds like a good way to treat your arthritis pain, 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 maybe it’s worth re-considering.

Is Bee Venom A Proven Method for treating Arthritis?

Apitherapy remains a largely unproven method, but having said that, a small number of doctors have reported some good results using the substance to treat arthritic conditions.

Treatments of bee venom therapy, probably originated after bee-keepers, who were stung many times, noticed their arthritis pain and inflammation was relieved. Some practitioners still use live bee stings to deliver the venom, however this unusual and not for the faint hearted.

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.

A Viable Option For My Arthritis ? or Not?

Yes, It’s true that bee stings may indeed help your arthritis, but at what cost?. In my opinion ‘Apitherapy’ should probably be avoided, due to the high risk involved. The good news is far Less abrasive natural methods do exist and could prove far more effective in relieving arthritis pain and inflammation

Tags: Arthritis

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