bee venom therapy


bee venom therapy

Fringe medicine
The use of honeybee (Apis mellifora) venom to treat arthritic complaints, including bursitis, neuritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and tendinitis. The venom is delivered by local injection of a rehydrated lyophilised concentrate of venom, or, less commonly, by allowing a patient to be stung by a bee. The effect of bee venom—if any—is attributed to nonspecific immune stimulation, as the venom contains formic acid, histamine, magnesium phosphate, and alkaloids. There is no peer-reviewed data to suggest that this therapy is effective.