Apitherapy for back pain is a care method that uses organic substances from bees to treat chronic symptoms. Apitherapy has a long history in the medical record dating back thousands of years. Of course it has lost much momentum in modern times, but continues to be embraced by many care providers and patients worldwide to this day.
Apitherapy is as controversial as it sounds and has been largely criticized by the scientific medical community. There is evidence of both benefits and potentially fatal drawbacks to using apitherapy, adding more fuel to the fire when it comes to the debate over its safety and efficacy.
This discussion will detail the use of bee products in the treatment of back pain and related symptoms. We will focus on some of the various types of therapies that are available and provide some facts that all interested patients should know before considering care.
What is Apitherapy for Back Pain?
Apitherapy is a general name for the therapeutic use of bee-related substances including honey, venom and gathered pollen. While there are dedicated uses for bee pollen and honey, these substances are not widely utilized in chronic pain sufferers. Instead, we will focus on the use of bee venom for the treatment of persistent pain.
Bee venom can be gathered and injected via hypodermic needle into various points on the back and neck. Bee venom can be directly injected into the patient via organic bee sting in similar fashion, although this application will greatly limit the penetrating power of the venom compared to hypodermic injection. Bee venom can be used on acupuncture needles to improve the efficacy of acupuncture therapy. Finally, bee venom can be used topically, being mixed with various other substances and applied directly to the skin.
Which of these methods of apitherapy are most effective and least dangerous? Which might be contenders in your own treatment program? Let’s look at the pros and cons of treatment and allow you to decide for yourself.
Apitherapy for Pain Efficacy
There have been some limited scientific studies that show apitherapy to be effective in reducing pain and improving physical functionality in chronic pain patients. These studies have been completed on headache sufferers, as well as back pain sufferers and were performed using accepted scientific methods. The main points of study involved the use of bee venom that is injected using hypodermic needles into specific points on the back. Other studies of less prestigious origin have been performed reporting on the benefits of using bee venom along with acupuncture or using organic injection directly from the bee itself.
The best results of these studies showed very small improvements in pain and functionality scores across patient populations. The improvement would be considered inconsequential to minor, at best. No patient reported significant pain relief or improved functional benefits from apitherapy during scientific studies.
The best results of treatment comes from firsthand patient citation in unscientific studies, such as those performed by care providers in clinical practice. Some patients report excellent results and swear by bee venom as a fantastic pain relief miracle substance. Medical science is not convinced…
Apitherapy for Back Pain Analysis
We are all for the use of organic, natural and holistic care whenever possible. However, this care must be effective and safe, which is not the case with apitherapy. Here are some downsides of treatment that must be considered prior to treatment:
It is obvious that the added pain and unpleasant reaction inherent to be venom might help satisfy the symptom imperative in many patients. Remember that a majority of chronic pain sufferers are pained due to a psychoemotional mechanism and not from any injury, disease or dysfunction. In all cases, chronic pain is influenced psychoemotionally. Since the venom adds pain before it takes it away, it might be acting as a perfect substitute symptom mechanism for the back pain itself.
Bee venom is a poison that can create serious health risks. Severe allergy can cause dire complications and anaphylaxis can actually kill. There have been reports of patients dying after receiving apitherapy, so every patient must undergo allergy testing before evening thinking about receiving bee venom treatment of any type.
Many psychologists have identified self-harming mechanisms within patients who report good results from bee sting therapy. This desire to harm oneself is often directly linked to the psychological trigger causing the chronic pain in the first place. These patients do not need bee stings. They require emergency help from a mindbody health professional trained in dealing with the true origins of pain at a psychoemotional level.
