Mohamed Suhood Mohamed Shiffa
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Title: Leech therapy and its effects in Arthralgia
Biography
Biography: Mohamed Suhood Mohamed Shiffa
Abstract
Leech therapy is used traditionally in which leeches are applied (artificial infestation) to a particular area for treating certain ailments such as skin disease, inflammatory disorders, varicosities, chronic wounds, etc. It is also being used in modern surgery; especially in reconstructive and microvascular surgery. Avicenna, Galen, Broussais, Von Ronsenstein and several other physicians treated many diseases by applying leeches. Leech species such as Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudinaria manillensis, Hirudo michaelseni, Hirudo nipponia, Macrobdella decora (American medicinal leech), Hirudo verbena, Hirudo orientalis and Hirudinaria granulose are commonly used in the medical field. When leech tends to suck the blood, it injects anaesthetic agents, anticoagulant and some other substances, in order to have the meal continuously without any interruption. In other way, leech saliva contains bioactive substances that would help to dilate blood vessels, decreases the blood viscosity, and deaden the pain of the bite. Scientific researches revealed that the beneficial effects of leech therapy occur due to injection of these bioactive substances. They are proteinase inhibitors: bdellins, hirustasin, tryptase inhibitor, eglins, inhibitor of factor Xa, hirudin, inhibitor of carboxypeptidase, decorsin, gelin, and inhibitor of complement component C1s and also other bio-active substances such as prostaglandins, vasodilators, anesthetics and proteins like calin, apyrase, hyaluronidase, destabliase, histamine-like vasodilators, collagenase, piyavit, ghilanten, guamerin A, piguamerin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, platelet activating factor antagonist, bufrudin and poorly characterized anaesthetic and analgesic compounds. Arthralgia is the term used for pain in the joints commonly occurs due to inflammation, accumulations, depositions and other disorders of the joints. Recent researches support that the leech therapy relieves pain, stiffness, inflammation, joint dysfunction and other symptoms in patients with joint disorders due to its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, vasodilatation, thrombolytic, antibacterial and analgesic actions. Backer Marcus, et al. and Michalsen, et al. found that the leech therapy was more effective in controlling pain and disability in individuals with joint pains. Abbas Zaidi, et al. and Mohamed Shiffa, et al. found that the leech therapy seemed to be an effective symptomatic treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. Therefore, this therapy can effectively be used to treat arthralgia in joint disorders.