A case series of rapid and substantial symptom relief in complex regional pain syndrome with hirudotherapy. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Beneficial effects of hirudotherapy in a chronic case of complex regional pain syndrome.
J Integr Med. 2019 Sep ;17(5):383-386. Epub 2019 May 23. PMID: 31253578
Rebecca Kulbida
We report about hirudotherapy in a patient with chronic complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in the right hand. CRPS is a multifactorial disease associated with disabling pain as well as sensory and motor deficits. The optimal therapeutic management is based on personalized multimodal treatment approaches; however, hirudotherapy has not been described in the available literature. To date, we have completed five medicinal leech treatments. Altogether, hirudotherapy led to rapid and substantial relief of symptoms, especially with respect to pain intensity ratings and skin temperature asymmetries. In addition, the patient's active and passive agility of the affected limb improved obviously.