One of the oldest known healing methods in medicine is hirudotherapy. This is a method of treatment performed with a medical leech. Thanks to over 100 different enzymes secreted by leeches attached to specific points of the body depending on the ailment or disease being treated.
How does leech therapy work?
It is a myth that leeches suck bad blood from the body. In fact, medicinal leeches provide the body with more than 100 useful enzymes in exchange for the blood they suck. These enzymes have anticoagulant, analgesic, muscle relaxant, antidepressant, vasodilating, improving microcirculation, supporting immunity, revitalizing nerves, anti-inflammatory effects.
- All problems with the immune system
- Varicose veins
- Metabolic diseases
- Eye diseases
- infections
- Asthma
- Migraine headaches
- Joint and muscle pain
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rheumatic diseases
- Arthrosis and calcification of the joints
- Tendinitis
- Urological diseases
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Gynecological diseases
- Psychological problems such as depression
- Degenerative diseases of the nervous system
- Fibromyalgia and restless legs syndrome-like conditions
- Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis
- Hemorrhoids
- Skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, hives
- Elimination of aesthetic problems such as scars and spots on the skin
- And many other diseases
In what cases and in whom is leech therapy not used?
- When using medications or herbs that thin the blood
- When there is an active bleeding point in the body
- Menstruating women
- If you have a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia
- Before any surgery
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding
- People with extreme allergies
- In people with heart failure
- For uncontrolled diabetes
- In mentally ill patients who do not comply with treatment
- In cases of cirrhosis
- In people with HIV
- During chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- In children under 10 years of age
Medicinal leeches used in hirudotherapy come from certified farms and have not been in contact with living organisms before. Leeches are disposable and are disposed of after each treatment.
Is leech therapy safe?
Yes, leech therapy is safe if it is carried out by a properly trained specialist (Hirudotherapist).
Are there any diseases that leeches can’t treat?
Leeches are contraindicated in anemia, hemophilia and other coagulation disorders. If you take aspirin (which inhibits blood clotting), you should avoid leech therapy. In addition, leeches cannot be used to treat blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B and C and HIV. Leeches are also contraindicated in pregnancy.
I’m allergic to protein, can I use leech therapy?
People with known allergies to biological substances should not undergo treatment with medical leeches. One of the enzymes in leech saliva is protein.
Is the treatment with leeches painful?
Some patients feel no pain at all after applying the leech. Others experience pain like a mosquito bite. It takes less than a minute because the leech secretes a local anesthetic that relieves pain.
Where is the hirudotherapy office located?
Hirudotherapy treatments are performed at the Unimedika osteopathy clinic in Szczecin, at 21 Hipolita Cegielskiego Street, in the Niebuszewo region, 5 minutes from the center, with free parking spaces.
How many leeches are used during the procedure?
During one treatment we attach from 2 to 10 leeches. It depends on the place of attachment and the ailment we are treating in the patient. (During the first treatment, we apply 1 to 3 leeches).
What to wear for a treatment session?
In the place where the leeches will be applied, please wear looser clothing, because after the procedure we will put on an absorbent dressing needed to control the oozing of blood from the morning lasting from 4 to 12 hours after the procedure.
Can leech therapy be used in children?
NO. Due to the strong effect of bioactive substances secreted by leeches, we do not use them on children under 10 years of age. The exception is the doctor’s recommendation in children after skin transplants.
Are leeches disposable?
This is how leeches are used once and come from certified breeding.
Is it possible to arrange an evening or weekend visit?
Yes, please contact us, we will try to find a convenient time.