Self-blood therapy useless or effective?

Naturopathy knows a very special form of therapy: the self-blood therapy. Especially allergy sufferers rely on this gentle therapeutic approach, in which the blood is first taken, partially treated, enriched and then injected back into the body. Joachim Splendler, doctor and naturopath: „After a few sessions significant relief of the symptoms can be felt.“ Other orthodox medical doctors are rather skeptical and refer to individual dangers. Around 75,000 doctors offer this alternative therapeutic approach in Germany

The procedure is little more than a minimal intervention. The therapist only takes a small amount of blood with the small treatment, in order to then add this back to the circulation. The self-blood therapy is offered by most naturopaths but also by some general practitioners. Especially the autologous blood treatment for atopic dermatitis and asthma should relieve the symptoms. The therapy is based on experience. Larger clinical studies have hardly been conducted on this topic so far.

„One to five milliliters of blood are withdrawn from the patient's arm vein“, explains Ulrich Sümper from the Bund deutscher Heilpraktiker (BDH). Mostly the blood is injected back into the buttocks. There a hematoma is formed, which is absorbed by the organism. „Your own blood is considered foreign by the body and triggers an immune reaction“, so the naturopath. This would be the „body's defense“ be stimulated. A total therapy is about 12 individual sessions with two treatments per week.

Effects of the autologous blood treatment
Whether the blood is again oral or injected, both variants produce small stimuli. The immune system reacts to this. The immune system responds to the stimulus and has to deal with its own blood. Thus, a minimal increase in the leukocytes can be achieved, more antibodies are formed. „Often the body temperature of the patient also rises slightly“, says Splendor. At the same time a healing process is initiated. „In some cases, an initial aggravation may occur, which means that the symptoms to be treated initially worsen after the first session of therapy“. Then immediately the opposite is achieved.

Areas of application of the autologous blood treatment are immune and defense weaknesses, menopausal symptoms, symptoms of hormonal changes, circulatory disorders, blood disorders, allergies, infectious diseases, atopic dermatitis, rheumatism, allergic asthma and for the rehabilitation of serious diseases.

The patients usually have to bear the costs themselves
The costs for the treatment must be borne by the patients themselves, since the catalog of benefits of the statutory health insurance companies do not recognize the therapy. A meeting costs between 15 and 20 euros. Some private health insurance companies cover the costs if natural remedies are included. Occasionally take over some legal costs. In most cases, the self-blood therapy is billed as so-called individual health care.

Health insurance companies rate the therapy as „tends to be negative“
The health insurance companies rate with the so-called „Hedgehog Monitor“ the autologous blood treatment as „tends to be negative“ on. On the one hand, the experts justify the offer as scientifically unproven and, on the other hand, negative effects, for example in coagulation disorders or the concomitant use of the drug „Marcumar“ happen. The physicians had the therapy tested for tendon irritation. „In no case should the autologous blood treatment blood coagulation disorders, phlebitis and severe illnesses and when taking glucocorticosteroids, blood thinners and immunosuppressants happen“.

Dr. Rainer Stange, prominent physician of the department of natural medicine in the Immanuel hospital Berlin stressed that „the treatment must be carried out under normal hygiene standards and with a good command of the correct injection technique - especially if injected intramuscularly“. Finally, the body is injured by the needle, so there is a slight risk of infection. The doctor also emphasizes that he is self-blood therapy „has done several hundreds of times and has never seen a serious adverse reaction“.

Own blood therapy as additional view
Although scientific evidence is lacking, therapy is popular with many patients. Prof. Detmar Jobst from the University Hospital Bonn is sure: „There is also a suggestive effect here“. For the doctor it is „questionable“, what happens between the medical reaction through the formation of the hematoma. The Federation of Naturopaths says: „The self-blood therapy is not suitable as a sole treatment for severe acute or life-threatening diseases“.

In addition to the small self-blood therapy exist depending on the application still different variations. In the big autologous blood treatment, a lot more blood is taken and treated extra. Oxygen or ozone is added to the blood. In other approaches, the blood is exposed to UV radiation. Other doctors or naturopaths add homeopathic remedies. „It is important that the therapist is well educated“, emphasizes Spendler. Only then is a therapy success possible. (Sb)