Bee Venom As a Medical Treatment

Bee venom therapy belongs to a group of medical treatments called apitherapy. Of these treatments, bee venom therapy is one of the most complex.

Apitherapy comes from the Latin word apis, which means bee.

History

• Bee venom therapy has 5,000 years of history, dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece and China. In the early 20th century, its popularity spread through the efforts of Hungarian physician Bodog Beck and American beekeeper Charles Mraz.

Function

• Bee venom therapy is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, shingles, burns, symptoms of multiple sclerosis, bursitis, tendonitis and other medical conditions.

Types

• There are two main types of bee venom therapies. In one, a doctor injects bee venom into your body. In the other, a doctor places bees, one by one, on your skin, and allows them to sting.

Considerations

• Bee venom therapy is, as yet, experimental. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes bee venom therapy as a de-sensitization treatment only.

Fun Fact

• Allergies to bee venom are rare. According to the American Apitherapy Society (2009), only seven in 1,000 people stung by a bee experience allergic reactions, though the skin will normally swell, itch and redden at the site of the sting.