The Buzz About Bee Venom Therapy for MS

[Guest guest]

http://www.healthology.com/focus_article.asp?f=m_sclerosis&c=ms_beevenom&spg

=NWL&b=healthology

.... People who practice apitherapy, or the medical use of honeybee products,

believe that bee venom can be used to treat MS, as well as arthritis,

inflammation from injuries and other conditions. Its popularity has led to

the proliferation of journals devoted to bee venom, alternative medicine

practioners and beekeepers offering bee venom injections or simply a hive of

bees, and companies selling bee venom products. ... bee venom has been

advocated not only for multiple sclerosis but also for rheumatoid arthritis.

There may be some products of the immune system that are produced by the

stinging insect or by the injection of these venoms that ameliorates these

diseases. ... One of the entry criteria was that the diagnosis be primary or

secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. There are various types of

multiple sclerosis, some of which occur in peaks and waves, and others that

have a steadier progressive course. The reason that we chose the stable

progressive patients was to try to eliminate the variations in disease

expression that could be unrelated to the treatment. Another requirement was

that they not be receiving any other immunomodulatory treatment such as

steroids or interferon. ... The participants who improved felt that this

form of treatment increased strength or decreased pain. One woman thought

that there was improvement in pain and swelling of her joints and in her

muscles around her joints. ...