Ouch ... bee therapy causes a real buzz (2)

English>>Life & Culture

Editor's Pick

Ouch ... bee therapy causes a real buzz (2)

(China Daily) 10:50, September 14, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

"My doctor couldn't explain the numbness," she said, recalling the early treatment in her native Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

"Doctors also advised me to take interferon beta, but it's very expensive and only works to prolong the time before I'm confined to a wheelchair. I don't want to take it every other day for the rest of my life."

By the end of 2010, Liu said she was unable to walk, so she decided to try Wang's clinic.

"I went every day for two months for bee acupuncture, injections and transfusions before I was able to walk again," she said.

Liu is still unable to stand, sit or walk for long, but credits the therapy with enabling her to take care of herself.

"I can still do things on my own, like buying groceries, cooking and cleaning," she said.

Wang said venom from a live bee can boost the body's immune system and activate other bodily functions, as well as bioplasma, which is "similar to stem cells and can help repair a damaged nervous system".

But many medical experts remain skeptical, as no clinical trial has been carried out to prove the theory.

Guo Yi, a neurosurgeon at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, urged caution. "A clinical trial should be assessed by a professional third party," he said. "Any treatment needs to be verified by different medical institutes before it's deemed effective."

As well as MS patients, clinic owner Wang said people, including new mothers, are also turning to bee acupuncture to cure aching joints, back pain and rheumatic ailments, while some have used it to try to reduce tumors.