What use does the autologous blood therapy have?

With self-blood therapy many complaints can be alleviated

27/11/2013

The self-blood therapy is an integral part of naturopathy. It is used among other things to strengthen the immune system, in asthma and circulatory disorders. In addition, the administration of autologous blood should have a positive effect even in severe diseases - in addition to other treatment methods. The extracted blood is either treated, enriched or injected without additives.

In natural medicine many diseases are treated with self-blood therapy
The self-blood therapy is one of the so-called irritant therapies. These are therapies in which the patient is specifically treated with stimuli such as cold, heat or homeopathic remedies. The stimulus causes the body to activate its self-healing powers. In self-blood therapy, the stimulus is in a small amount of own blood, the body as „strange“ is identified. The goal is to overcome the stimulus to initiate the healing process.

The natural healing process is used not only by naturopaths but also by many doctors to treat a wide variety of diseases. The self-blood therapy can be done as a single treatment or as a supplement to medication or therapeutic measures. However, there is no scientific proof of the effectiveness of the method.

How does the self-blood therapy?
„One to five milliliters of blood are taken from the patient's arm vein, "explains Ulrich Sümper, President of the Association of German Naturopaths in Warendorf, to the news agency „dpa“. Subsequently, the blood is usually injected into the gluteal muscle. Then a bruise (hematoma) forms with a build-up of blood that is absorbed by the body. „Your own blood is considered by the body as 'foreign' and triggers an immune reaction, "reports Sümper. „This stimulates the body's defense.“ In most cases, the stimulus therapy comprises up to twelve sessions, which take place twice a week.

In self-blood therapy, two different methods of execution are distinguished. Either blood is withdrawn from the arm vein and then the patient - treated or untreated - injected, or it is a small drop of capillary blood taken from the fingertip, which is then prepared for oral intake according to the homeopathic regulations.

The autologous blood can be treated untreated, with a homeopathic remedy or potentized homeopathically. In addition to the small self-blood therapy, there are numerous other variants. Thus, the autologous blood in the so-called great self-blood therapy, in which larger amounts of blood are removed, added to ozone or oxygen and can be irradiated with UV light.

Self-blood therapy is usually not taken over by the health insurance
In Germany, the self-blood therapy is not one of the regular benefits of statutory health insurance. However, some private and legal insurers have corresponding offers. For a meeting about 15 euros.

Frequently, the self-blood therapy is billed as a so-called iGeL performance (individual health care). In this context, Silke Thomas from the "Hedgehog Monitor", an assessment service of these individual health services, which is intended to help patients as a decision-making, examined the self-blood therapy in terms of effectiveness in tendon irritation (tendinopathy). She came to the conclusion that the procedure because of lack of proof of efficacy and at the same time possible damage potential „tends to be negative ".

„Patients should confront their treating physicians with our assessment and deal with it critically. "Thomas is contraindicated in the case of coagulation disorders, phlebitis or taking the anticoagulant Marcumar.Therefore, the treated physician or alternative practitioner is the contraindications before treatment to discuss with the patient.

„It is important that the treatment is carried out according to the usual hygiene standards and a sure mastery of the correct injection technique - especially if injected intramuscularly, "reports Rainer Stange from the Department of Naturopathy at the Immanuel Hospital in Berlin to the news agency At the injection site, infections can occur, for example, 54 out of 352 self-care patients became infected with hepatitis due to a lack of hygiene, according to the journal „Drug-Telegram“ reported.

Effectiveness of self-blood therapy has not been proven
Although self-blood therapy has not yet been scientifically proven to be effective, around 75,000 physicians nationwide rely on the treatment process, according to a survey. „There is certainly also a suggestive effect, "says Professor Detmar Jobst from the University Hospital Bonn to the news agency. „But every medical measure has a placebo effect. "Although many patients have an improvement in their symptoms, which medical processes are behind them, is unknown. „There are ailments where you have to offer something to the patient, "says Jobst „For example, if it is not accessible to other forms of therapy. "

Naturopaths and doctors who use the self-blood therapy, are aware of the lack of proof of effectiveness and know the limits of the method. „The self-blood therapy is not suitable as a sole treatment for severe acute or life-threatening diseases, "informed the Association of German Naturopaths.

So far only a few smaller studies have dealt with the therapy procedure. For a meaningful result extensive investigations must take place, which for example animal test series and comparison tests with many subjects belong. Stange sees above all in the low economic interest, the cause of the lack of research activities in the field of self-blood therapy. While drug manufacturers would have a great interest in research, this lacked in the therapy process. He has already used this treatment method "hundreds of times and has never seen a serious adverse reaction". One thing, however, has been observed by Stange: „Occasionally there is a short-term increase in temperature and also flu-like feelings over two to three days. "(Ag)

Picture: Rainer Sturm