Bee venom therapy (BVT) is a part of Apitherapy where ‘api’ is Latin for ‘bee’.
BVT is the medicinal application of bee venom from honeybees into the human body for the treatment of pain and diseases such as rheumatism arthritis, etc. BVT therapy has been practiced for more than 5000 years by ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Greek therapists, including Hippocrates.
Bee venom contains at least four substances with strong anti-inflammatory effects: melittin, apamin, adolapin, and phospholipase A2.
A personal (and successful) BVT application story is in the video.
Caution with BVT
1. Don’t do BVT alone – try to have someone nearby in case of emergency! For about 7% of population a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction can develop rapidly (aka anaphylactic shock). Signs of anaphylactic shock include: itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash. swollen eyes, lips, hands and feet.
2. Have EpiPen ready!
In case of any adverse reaction, use EpiPen and after that immediately call the ambulance.
3. Have a couple of glasses of water on standby! Dehydration is possible right after receiving stings. Drink plenty of water.
4. Clean the area where you plan to administer the bee stings with simple soap and water. Do not use other cleaning supplies as many of them can interfere with the efficacy of BVT.
5. Before proceeding with BVT, administer a test micro-sting first! If you have not been stung for the previous 2 months, you need to re-test as you may have developed a new allergy. Start with a test micro-sting: after a single sting (back of the hand is best), remove the stinger right away and then wait for about 15 minutes to see if any adverse reaction is underway. In case of a strong reaction, do not proceed with BVT!
6. Instead of BVT, consider alternative non-life-threatening methods for treatment of pain and other symptoms. Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine are highly recommended. See AcuBoston.com – an excellent acupuncture & herbal medicine clinic in Greater Boston area that accepts medical insurancecccccbjudcnkjjducki!
Details that did not fit into the short video
BVT works much better for limbs but duration of pain relief for limbs depends on a person – it can last days or years.
BVT referred to in the video lasted for 3 days during which period a total of 7 bee stings were administered.
For my back with a long-time sciatica problem, BVT worked but did not work as well.