. . .FIREBERT: The healing power of : Bee sting venom. (13)

No one likes to get stinged by a bee, wasp or mosquito, but sometimes this stinging has a healing effect. The venom of a honey bee has found to be very effective against numerous diseases and disorders. There are many annecdotes and stories about this treament, the sudden cure of people after they were stinged by a bee. May be aupuncture ever was inspired by this puncturing medication. Sad news however for bees, they will not survive this action. After losing their sting they will die...how sad.

Bee venom therapy is the part of api-therapy which utilizes bee venom in the treatment of health conditions. Apitherapy is the use of beehive products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom. It has been used since ancient times to treat arthritis, rheumatism, back pain, skin diseases and in this modern age as an alternative therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bee venom comes from the stingers of honey bees who use it in defense of the bee colony.
Bee venom is a rich source of enzymes, peptides and biogenic amines. There are at least 18 active components in the venom which have some pharmaceutical properties. The effect mechanism of the venom is not entirely know yet. Scientists believe it can modify the way the immune system functions in the body and contribute to increased cortisol production.
Traditionally, bee venom was administered with live bees by stimulating them to sting in the affected area, trigger points or acupuncture points. Depending on the nature of the disease, the standardized venom can be used in a cream, liniment, ointment or injection form. Bee venom is most effective when it comes directly from the live bee during the late spring to early fall season when bees have a good pollen source to produce potent venom. Their venom during the winter period is less potent.
Next to the effect of a live bee, injectable venom solution is considered to be a standard method to administer bee venom.
Venom solution is prepared from pure bee venom (Apis Venenum Purum) and is a homeopathic preparation. It is administered intradermally just between the skin layers or subcutaneously under the skin to imitate the effect of a bee sting. Each injection is equivalent to or is less than the average dry venom sac content of a honey bee. Bee venom is also used topically in creams, liniments and ointments. The application of venom solution with electrophoresis or ultrasonophoresis is practiced in Europe and China.
Bee venom therapy is practiced by health practitioners and lay apitherapists. There are treatment protocols available to follow. In general, the therapy starts with the determination of whether the patient is allergic to the venom by administering a small amount of venom intradermally. If no allergic reaction develops within a certain time, the therapy is continued with the administration of one to two bee stings or injections. The therapy is carried out every other day (three times a week) by gradually increasing the number of bee stings or injections. The length of the therapy is determined by the nature and severity of the condition.
There is discomfort associated with the administration of bee venom including pain, itching, swelling, inflammation and redness. Symptoms like redness, swelling and itching are desired effects of the therapy showing the response of the patient to the venom. The more severe the reaction, but not anaphylaxis, the faster the recovery.
Anaphylactic reactions which can be life threatening are also reported from bee venom, but they are rare.
The literature of bee venom therapy is very extensive and lists over 2,000 titles. There are basic guidelines of the therapy which need to be followed. The education on the part of the patient and the therapist is critical and the obtained result is proportional to the knowledge and experience of the administrator of the venom.
Bee venom therapy is an alternative form of healing. In the hands of a licensed practitioner, it is considered to be safe and can be used when the patient does not respond to conventional treatment methods.

by Mihály Simics
Apitronic Services
Richmond, BC

Canada

In addition to arthritis there are also reports of bee venom therapy assisting in the control of:

Auto-Immune Disease
Lupis Erythemematosis
Scleroderma
Fibrositis
Mastitis
Spondylitis
Tennis Elbow
Lower back pain
Chronic pain

Ligament Injuries
Premenstrual Syndrome
Cholesterol Levels
Neurosis

- Arthritis

- Cancerous tumors
- Gout

- Melanomas & carcinomas
- Bursitis

- bone fractures
- Tendinitis

- herniated discs
- Lyme Disease

- surgical scars
- MS

- internal scarring
- Lupus

- torn ligaments & tendons
- Shingles

- pulled muscles & cramping
- Bell's Palsy

- numbness & poor circulation
- Neuropathy

- spasms
- Sciatica

- mood disorders
- Carpal Tunnel


- Fibromyalgia


- Raynaud’s Disease


- ALS

And Injuries to:
- Chronic Fatigue

- ankles	- shoulders
- Psoriasis

- knees	- elbows
- Eczema

- hips	- wrists
- Asthma

Persons with Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, and Stroke symptoms may also benefit.

The healing potency of bee venom is initiated after a sting, when it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, a natural human hormone that has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, BVT jump starts the immune system to produce a healing response through the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, and spurs the production of endorphins, the body's natural pain killer. The antibacterial and antiviral properties of bee venom make it a unique weapon in fighting bacterial and viral ailments of the central nervous system and elsewhere.
(Bee well therapy).

(up-date april 7, 2010):

Bee stings have been credited with helping a multiple sclerosis patient regain her quality of life.

Now she is now back on her feet with a much improved quality of life.

Sami Chugg, a charity worker and a bed-ridden multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer is back on her feet, after she was stung 1,500 times by bees.(to sting the area around the spine.)

Chugg, 45, has overcome her debilitating condition with help from the revolutionary Bee Venom Therapy, which involves holding a bee with some tweezers and getting it deliberately sting an area of the skin. She says it has changed her life helping her regain quality of life.
The therapy begins gradually by desensitising the body to the stings, and eventually using multiple bees that are left in the skin for up to 20 minutes.
Researchers believe the unusual treatment makes the body release natural healing compounds that reduce inflammation from the sting, with the venom in the sting helping ease the pain of MS symptoms, including stimulating the body to fight back.
The 45-year-old from Bristol was diagnosed with MS 12 years ago and completely numb, she was unable to move till she tried the Bee Venom Therapy or Apitherapy treatment, as it is also called.
However, one has to be careful one’s body is not prone to anaphylactic shock that can prove fatal, before trying the treatment.
The alternative treatment remains unproven by evidence-based medicine, though it has been used to treat other wasting diseases and arthritis, as well.
Chugg finds it sad that the bees have to die after stinging and is now campaigning for the ‘Safe Land for Bees’ project to raise awareness of the decline in bee populations, who are a vital part of our eco-system.
Pollinators that keep our environment ticking, life would be unimaginable without them.
Over 85,000 Britons have MS, a condition in which immune cells attack the protective myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. While, initially, the body is able to repair the damage, over time scarring of the nerves means they stop transmitting signals.
The bee sting treatment based on the theory of 'counter irritation', fires the body’s immune system to produce a response that dampens the effects of an existing condition.
Bee venom is believed to be a chemical cocktail containing enzymes and proteins.

~~REFLEX -POINTS ~ACUPRESSURE~~