Healing If animals should heal people

When animals should heal people

13/11/2014

Snake venom for hypertension, leech therapy against arthrosis, worms against intestinal inflammation: animals or their poisons are often used to cure people. In some of the methods, the efficacy remains controversial.

Ancient healing methods have been replaced by modern medicine
Ancient healing methods, such as the use of leeches or fly maggots, have in recent years, in some circles, become a kind of revival after being suppressed by modern medicine. "Parasites, animals or their poisons are used against a wide variety of diseases or complaints." For hypertension, for example, snake venom is used, in osteoarthritis is set to a leech therapy and worms are to help with intestinal inflammation. Many of the approaches that help animals to heal humans have been scientifically proven. But often the test results from the laboratory are sobering.

Clean larvae to the wounds
For example, the larvae of the fly fly genus Lucilia sericata be used to clean poorly healing wounds. However, according to the data, patients complained of significantly more pain after the treatment. In one study, scientists found that the claim that animals could reduce multidrug-resistant bacteria was not met, nor did accelerated wound healing. It should be noted, however, that researchers often come to different study results in different methods.

Medical use of leeches
Another topic is the medical use of leeches. Among other things, this therapy is used for high blood pressure, spider veins, joint complaints, boils, tinnitus, chronic inflammation or sinusitis. With the help of this method, the lymphatic flow is stimulated and the blood circulation is improved. Even the chance of survival of sutured fingers improves thereby. However, as mentioned in the report, scientists have yet to make a clear statement as to whether palliation of knee arthritis pain, which is described by knee leech therapy, is due to a placebo effect. The paper also points to side effects and complications, which are likely to be minor in professional practice. For example, strict requirements of the Medicines Act stipulate that only certain leeches, which come from breeding establishments and are constantly checked, may be used. After a single use, they must be disposed of.

Farm children are less likely to have allergies
As the „world“ It is also argued that children are particularly popular for healthy development, contact with animals, and report that studies have actually shown that children who grow up on farms suffer less from allergies. New are such findings not really. More than ten years ago, researchers from Marburg discovered why farm children are much less likely to suffer from allergies and their risk of asthma or hay fever is only half that of children growing up in an urban environment. They came to the conclusion that this is due to the microbes, which occur in large numbers on farms. These would turn off the genes that trigger allergic reactions. Whether it is advisable to buy a dog for the prevention of allergies, as recommended by some experts, remains controversial. However, families with allergies are generally discouraged from cats because the saliva of these animals is considered highly allergenic.

Worms against intestinal inflammation
The report also examines whether infection with swine fluke can help people with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. It was hoped that the parasitic intestinal dwellers positively influenced the immune system. One indication was that few people in developing countries are affected by these diseases, although many carry the worm. However, study director Jürgen Schölmerich, a bowel specialist and medical director of the University of Frankfurt, is sobered by the study results and said that „world“: „The topic is over, the worm eggs are no better than a dummy drug.“ However, the high placebo effect was amazing.

Dogs with special flair
Since animals apparently also seem to have healing effects on the human psyche, in addition to detection and rescue dogs, more and more therapy dogs are now establishing themselves, for example after disasters. „The dogs have a special sense, they seem to notice who is well, who is afraid of them and who needs them. They pull us out there“, said a dog handler who was present with her animals after the rampage in Newtown, USA. After trauma, many sufferers develop anxiety disorders and depression, retreat, and have problems with closeness and everyday functioning. Many of them can help trained assistants who approach other people, provide emotional support, or bring those affected home in panic attacks in public.

Placebo effect activates self-healing powers
The fact that patients with mental or severe psychiatric illnesses have less depressive symptoms and feel less lonely thanks to animal therapies or activities with animals has been shown in research. In addition, studies showed positive effects on blood pressure and heartbeat through animal contacts. Even pain in children decreased. But the existing studies lack reliable data. And many of the methods have not been scientifically proven. A high placebo effect is assumed. This probably activates self-healing powers. (Ad)