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| How Does It Work? |
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| I am often asked, "How does bee venom work? Why does it help arthritis?" Everything I know about it comes from my own experience using BVT and observing the results. The first person I ever approached about VT, my neighbor Henry, demonstrated very well several of the important functions of BV. After I gave him bee stings, he showed me that his hands were no longer purple looking from cyanosis or swollen with edema. I realized the BV had improved the blood circulation in his hands and increased the oxygen in the tissues, making them look normal and pink again. The edema, or swelling, was reduced when the increased circulation cleared out the congestion. Another dramatic change was the elimination of the pain in Henry's hands. I consistently see this effect of BV to reduce or eliminate the pain caused by arthritis. How bee venom does these things in the body, I am not exactly sure. What has been discovered about bee venom, though, is that it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, a hormone that has anti-inflammatory properties. Cortisone is the drug that mimics the effect of endogenous cortisol, but in this artificial form, it has damaging side effects on the body. |
| Two researchers, Dr. N. M. Artemov of Russia and Dr. E. Habermann of Germany, were studying the composition of bee venom back in the 1920's and 30's. They were the first who I know of to document the anti-inflammatory properties of BV associated with the release of cortisol in the blood. Their work stopped with the advent of World War II in Europe. Further research on the composition and physiology of BV did not resume for 40 years or more. In the early 1970's Glenn B. Warren contributed money to a number of researchers in this country to study the effects of BV. Warren suffered from a hereditary form of arthritis and had established a foundation in his name to support research into treatments of the disease. He heard of my work with BV and had read Dr. Broadman's book. He soon realized that there was no interest among medical doctors, so he decided to sponsor BV research himself. |
| The work was done by various researchers around the country. William Shipman, D.D.S. in San Francisco, California, fractionated BV and identified its primary components. He sent fractions of the BV to James Vick, Ph.D. and Robert Brooks at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. They treated arthritic dogs belonging to the army with both the BV fractions and whole venom. They measured the change in blood cortisol levels and the amount of Vitamin C produced by the dogs in response to BV. Shipman also sent his BV fractions to Gerald Weissmann, M.D. of Bellevue Arthritis Clinic in New York City. He treated rats with BV and measured the increase in their blood cortisol levels. The collective results of these studies validated the findings of Dr. Artemov that BV stimulates the immune system through the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands.I also believe BV stimulates the production of endorphins, the body's natural pain killer, and immune agents, including B cells and interferon.These researchers, and doctors who have used BV in their practice, have tried to get their results published in medical journals, without success. Since 1934, when Bodog F. Beck, M.D. tried to publish the results of his work, any articles submitted to the journals for publication that I'm aware of have been turned down. Since little has been published on the subject in the U.S., little is known about BVT by either the public or the medical community. |
| Occasionally medical doctors will comment on BVT, usually based on their personal opinions, almost never from actual experience. Such personal opinions come from what one may learn in medical school and publications on allopathic medicine. This information revolves around drug therapy and the suppression of arthritic symptoms with steroid hormones, the many forms of cortisone, and cytotoxins such as Methotrexate, and others. Trying to understand the action of BVT based on the action of suppressive drugs is impossible; BVT produces it therapeutic effect not by suppressing the immune system but by stimulating it, completely contrary to the effect of many drugs.---The majority of comments I have heard for over 50 years suggest that the effects of BVT are just psychological, mind over matter. Or, that it's simply a spontaneous remission, coincidental with the BVT. The so-called experts who denounce BV are not aware of the fact that animals with rheumatic diseases respond to BV just as well as humans do. |
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| Getting Started |
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| ONE OF THE GREATEST problems with rheumatic diseases is that no two cases are ever the same. The various forms of the disease fall into certain broad classifications, but the infinite variations can make a diagnosis difficult. If an arthritic goes to 10 different doctors, he or she may be diagnosed with 10 different kinds of arthritis. All may be correct. It's a matter of how the numerous, overlapping symptoms are classified by the doctor. After working with rheumatic diseases for over 60 years, I am not too concerned with what kind of arthritis a person has, nor is the arthritic. They are only interested in getting rid of the pain and crippling. Yet, to use BVT most affectively with rheumatic disease, one must classify the disease to some degree. First, I determine whether it is acute or chronic. Acute forms are those aches and pains that suddenly come from nowhere, yet can be very debilitating, such as tennis elbow, tendinitis, bursitis, gout and lower-back pain. Usually these acute forms are isolated. That is, only one elbow will hurt, or only one ankle, one shoulder, etc. These cases usually respond quickly and successfully. Often the pain will never return to the treated area. If it does, the BVT may work more dramatically than the first time. Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are usually chronic. They develop slowly and resist most efforts to bring relief. Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts with pain in the hands and feet, most often in young women. Yet it can also develop suddenly, and completely cripple a person over night. It can cause severe calcification of the joints and lead to permanent deformity. |
| Osteoarthritis
is typical, over-use and old-age arthritis. After age 40 almost everyone
develops some osteoarthritis, either a mild case that amounts to an annoyance,
or a more serious one that can cause severe pain and stiffness. Another
crippler is ankylosing spondylitis, which usually strikes young men. The
spine slowly calcifies and eventually causes the victim to walk doubled
over. The chest and neck calcify and the person becomes immobile. Eventually
even the hips become fixed, and they cannot move at all.
Besides knowing what type of arthritis I was dealing with, I had to develop a method for applying the stings. When I first started giving bee stings to friends and neighbors following my own bout with rheumatic fever, I simply applied the stings to the areas of the body that were affected. One man I knew tried a systemic approach by stinging unaffected areas to heal his arthritic joints. I remember he had badly crippled legs and treated himself by applying bee stings only on his arms. Eventually he made a complete recovery from the arthritis in his legs. But I found people got better and quicker results when I applied the stings directly to the affected areas. I learned also that by pressing around the affected area with my thumb, I could determine exactly where a painful area was located. I now know that the most painful places, or what I call "trigger points," are definite areas about a half-inch in diameter. To find them, I use a strong, slow pressure with my thumb. A quick poke or jab will reveal nothing. Firm pressure will show where these painful trigger points are located and how painful and extensive the arthritis is. As I locate a trigger point, I put a small mark on it with a pen so I know where to place the stings later. |
| Some years after using BVT, I began to hear about acupuncture, a healing method which has been used in Chinese medicine for many centuries. I discovered that trigger points are located all over the body, basically along the nerve pathways. The Chinese discovered that the body could be healed of numerous ailments by using needles to stimulate certain points along these pathways. Although needles are used in traditional acupuncture, laser, applied pressure, massage, injections and electric current are also used. Bee stings provide the same mechanical effect of a needle plus the added pharmacological effect of the venom. It was easy to observe that BVT and acupuncture are a perfect combination. I've also learned that I cannot depend on arthritics to tell me the extent of their disease. Most arthritics try to cover up or ignore their pain. They admit they have arthritis only in areas where they hurt the most, and ignore areas that are less painful. Locating trigger points shows me the true extent of their arthritis. In addition to the trigger points, I make sure to sting other related points on the body. To do this, I evolved a few basic rules that seem to work quite well. For instance, in cases where the neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists and hands are involved, I also sting the upper spine. I usually find trigger points on or along the spine, from the base of the skull down to the area between the shoulders. Trigger points may also be found behind the ears and around the skull, following to the spine. When the lower back, hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet are involved, I sting the lower spine. Trigger points can be found on or along the lower spine and will often radiate down from the hips to the feet. |
| I realized the success of this method many years ago when I helped "Joseph," a chicken farmer. He had bad arthritic knees and could not step into his truck to load bags of grain. I applies stings to his knees for several weeks, but they just didn't improve. I checked out his lower back and found some trigger points to sting along with his knees. Soon after I had stung his back, his knees improved, and he was able to get into his truck without any pain. Before a person received any stings, though, he or she must first be tested for BV sensitivity. This is done by giving a light dose of venom by placing a sting and leaving it in for just a few seconds. The pain of the sting can be greatly reduced by numbing the skin beforehand. Use a frozen juice can or a wrapped ice cube and chill the skin for several minutes before placing the sting. I usually place the test sting on the most painful trigger point. Surprisingly, this one sting often produces some improvement and lets the arthritic know that BVT may help them. After removing this test sting, I wait for 15 to 20 minutes and look for any symptoms of severe allergy, especially a body rash, watery eyes, itchy scalp and palms, and swollen eyes and lips. In the thousands of tests I have made over the past 60 years, I have yet to see an arthritic have an adverse reaction to BV when tested for an allergy. |
| It is important to be prepared for a reaction, though. I always keep on hand an antihistamine like Benadryl in the case of a mild sensitivity, and a sting kit, which contains a syringe to inject adrenaline for a more serious reaction. It is essential to have both antihistamine and a sting kit close by when administering stings and to be fully aware that in highly sensitive individuals BV can have serious and even fatal side effects. If someone is very sensitive, he or she may have a drop in blood pressure and pass out. Adrenaline is necessary in this case. An arthritic can get a severe allergic reaction, though, if he or she takes too many stings before becoming immunized. For that reason it is important to start a program of BVT slowly. If the test sting shows no hypersensitivity, I begin with one to five stings on selected trigger points. The arthritic will need someone to apply the stings for him or her, at least in the beginning. Some places like the shoulder and back are difficult to reach, plus it is easier to be brave when someone else is handling the bees. In acute cases where pain is confined to only a few areas, most people get relief with three to six stings, two to three times a week on the trigger points. A person can take more, but more stings does not mean the arthritis will heal any faster. After the first two to five sessions there may not be much swelling form the BV. When swelling does occur at the sight of the sting, it is good to know that the subsequent treatment will usually cause an even greater reaction. The reactions will continue to intensify with each treatment and result in more itching, redness and swelling, and may stay that way for several days. |
| The stings can become uncomfortable and even disturbing, especially if the arthritic starts to feel worse. This is not a hypersensitivity to the stings, but a local reaction. I've observed that people get the best results if they continue the stings through this difficult period; it is the critical stage of the process. I've concluded that the swelling from the bee venom brings blood to the area, carrying all its protective and healing agents, including the cortisols, interferon, T cells and B cells. I do not sting areas already swollen from BV. I focus on other affected areas, applying two to six stings, in rotation, depending on the extent of the arthritis. After about three to four weeks, the swelling and itching will decrease, no matter how many stings have been given. At this point the arthritic is considered to be immune to BV, and there is no more swelling and itching. However, the BV still produces its therapeutic effects even though the arthritic has become immune. Bee stings, however, are always painful; no one ever gets immune to pain. But many people say that after the pain of arthritis, a bee sting is a "good hurt." And pain, surprisingly, is important to the therapeutic process. I believe it stimulates the body's pain-relieving endorphins, which in turn help relieve the discomfort of the arthritis. |
| BVT is a classic example of the homeopathic principle, which states that a substance that produces the symptoms of a disease is a cure for that disease. Rheumatic diseases result in swelling, pain and inflammation. A bee sting causes the same symptoms. The sting stimulates the immune system to relieve the inflammation caused by the BV, while relieving the symptoms of the rheumatic disease at the same time. With a little experience a person soon learns where stings are most effective and how many stings are necessary. Generally, within a month or two, acute forms of rheumatic disease are relieved for months and even years. It may never return to the treated area but can turn up later in other joints. Sometimes arthritic pain may be relieved with BVT after one session, which happens often with gout. For long-lasting relief it usually takes a series of stings. The treatment of chronic forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, takes more time. Many joints are often involved, usually bilaterally, meaning both sides of the body are affected: both shoulders, both hips, both elbows and both knees. It also tends to develop in all joints of the body over a period of perhaps several years. If treatment is started early in these chronic forms of rheumatic disease, results can be excellent. |
| use my same method of stinging the affected areas along with the corresponding area on the spine. I sting the affected areas in rotation, one area at a time, rather than covering all the areas in one session. Each of the arthritic areas must be stung, but since many joints can be involved it may take three to five sessions to cover them all. I've noticed that a program of 10 to 20 stings three times a week usually relieves these chronic cases. If there is improvement in the early stages, the bee stings can be stopped temporarily and then resumed if necessary. It is good to remember that after BVT, improvement often continues. If not, BVT can be started again until permanent relief is attained. If more than two or three months of stings are necessary, I believe it's beneficial to take a rest from the stings for a few weeks and then start again, it is important to start again with a test sting and slowly increase the number of stings. Rheumatic disease follows no rules. It is vicious and persistent, and the treatment can be long and even difficult. Some forms of arthritis take a long time to respond to BV, and treatment may need to continue for a year or more. Once you find relief, you may be symptom-free for many years. |
| If you are on a drug program before starting BVT, you may feel like reducing the drugs after the bee stings begin to relieve the pain. Always seek your doctor's advice before altering a prescribed drug program. After years of experience with people who were on arthritis drugs when they first came to me, I believe that BV and drugs should not be used together, except at the start. BV appears to stimulate the activity of the immune system so the body may heal itself. Drug therapy, on the other hand, usually reduces the inflammation in order to relieve the pain. But this only amounts to a temporary suppression of the natural function of the immune system. Anti-inflammatory drugs normally do not heal, and can actually reduce healing, even though they may lessen the pain. I believe most drugs, as a rule, do not prevent the progress of autoimmune disease-they may even accelerate it. If you are taking any drugs in the cortisone family, it is important to reduce the dose gradually, and only under a doctor's supervision. Cortisone drugs tend to atrophy the function of the adrenals, which produce the body's own cortisol. Withdrawal of cortisone should be slow while the BV stimulates the adrenals to produce endogenous cortisol. Many arthritics will dismiss BVT by saying that their type of arthritis cannot be helped by it. This is a big mistake; the only way to know is to try. I realize that BVT requires a lot of courage and the willingness to try something unconventional. Plus, BVT is not an easy treatment. The healing process can be slow, and the stings are painful. But as one lady said to me, "The treatment is terrible, but the results are worth it. |
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| Applying The Stings |
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| If a
person is willing to try BVT, he or she may have a problem finding a source
of bees or difficulty finding someone to apply the stings. One way is to
buy a hive of bees your self. If that is not possible, then find a local
beekeeper who will supply you with bees. The agricultural extension office
for your county should have a list of beekeepers, or you can find a jar
of local honey in your supermarket and contact the honey producer listed
on the label. If you have your own hive or are going to a beekeeper, you
will need to collect your bees in a jar. A small jar, like a mayonnaise
jar with the metal cover, works well. Punch holes in the cover with a nail
or sharp tool to give the bees air, making sure the holes are smaller than
the bees. Place a big tablespoon of crystallized or comb honey in the bottom
of the jar and then cover the honey with a piece of facial tissue to prevent
the bees from getting stuck in it. Take a cardboard tube from an empty
roll of toilet paper and cut a notch in one end. Place the tube in the
jar
with the notch-end resting on the tissue. This allows the bees to crawl inside the tube. (Make sure that the toilet paper was unscented; a roll from perfumed toilet paper can kill the bees.) The bees will cluster in the tube because the glass jar is too slippery for them to cling to. You can keep the bees for about a week or more in the jar set up like this. You or your beekeeper can get about 50 bees in a jar by placing the open end of the jar over the 1-inch round entrance in back of the hive. If the bees don't come out right away, jiggle the jar against the hive. |
| If you decide to buy your own hive and need bees when the temperature goes below freezing, even down to below zero, bees can easily be taken from the hive without disturbing them and without opening the hive. Simply remove the top cover of the hive and place a one-inch-thick insulating board, such as blue board, on top of the inner cover-the square board that rests on top of the frames. The insulating board should be cut to the same size as the inner cover so that the outer cover will slip over it easily and protect the hive from the cold. The inner cover has a half-inch rim around the edge of its topside and a hole in the center to allow the bees through. This hole remains open. The half-inch rim will create a space over the top of the inner cover under the insulating board. In cold weather the bees will collect between the top and the inner cover and the insulation board. When the outer cover and the insulation board is lifted up, the bees, stiff with cold, can be scooped up with a tablespoon. In a warm room they will revive quickly and be ready to use. If there are no bees between the inner cover and the insulation board, just spread some honey on top of the inner cover and put back the insulation board. The bees will quickly come up to clean up the honey, and they will then usually stay between the cover and the insulation if there are plenty of bees in the hive and if they are in good shape. This way, bees are available all winter, and you will not disturb the hive when you want to collect them. |
| When you've got your bees back home, they can be removed from the jar one at a time, as you need them. To remove the bees you will need a long forceps or tweezers, such as doctors use. I get them from a crafts store or a catalog, which carries hard-to-find tools. When you are ready to get a bee out, open the cover of the jar just a bit and reach in with the forceps and grab a bee by the head or thorax. The thorax is the middle section of the bee, where the wings and legs are attached. If you pick the bee up by the abdomen, the long, tail end of the bee, the sting cannot function normally and it will be difficult to position over the trigger point. If you have trouble grabbing a bee, put the jar in the refrigerator for five or tem minutes to slow the bees down. If you still have trouble, release a few from the jar by lifting the lid a little bit. The bees usually fly to the nearest window, where they are easier to pick up. If you still have trouble, the bees can be sprayed with a fine mist of water from a plant sprayer when they are either in the jar or on the window. The water will wet their wings and make it difficult for them to fly. I also like to give the bees a little water o drink by occasionally spraying water directly on the lid of the jar. When you are ready to use the bees, grab one with your forceps and bring it to the area to be treated. The bee will sting when you place the tip of the abdomen to the skin. The stinger will come out of the bee and remain in the skin. Take the bee away after it has released its stinger and crush it. It will die anyway as a result of losing its stinger. |
| The sting gland of the honeybee is a very complex mechanism that actually functions after it has left the bee's body. It contains two barbed shafts that slide alongside each other, activated by the muscles in the sting gland. This allows the sting to bury itself into the skin even after it leaves the bee's body. The action of the sliding shafts pumps the venom into the wound. The longer the sting is left in the skin, the more venom will be introduced, for up to five minutes after the bee has stung. Many people do not like the idea of killing the bees. However, I believe that one reason nature put bees on this Earth was to help us heal. Bees reproduce rapidly. In a normal summer day, when bees are gathering honey and pollen, thousands of bees die every day literally by working themselves to death. But the queen can lay 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day to replace them. Along with receiving the BVT, I recommend that people stay away from foods that can worsen the symptoms of arthritis, especially refined sugar, white flour and salt. Alcohol should be avoided while receiving bee stings. Alcohol seems to neutralize the effect of the venom, and the arthritic will not get the full benefit of the stings. It's important to note that I have seen anaphylactic reactions to BV in persons who had alcohol in their system at the time they were stung. |
| Vitamins are no doubt helpful. Vitamin C, so necessary to the healing processes of the body, should be taken every day, at least 500 mg four times a day. Vitamin C supports the adrenals while they are working in response to the BV to raise the cortisol levels in the blood. The B vitamins should be increased to aid the pituitary as it produces ACTH, and to complement the vitamin C. Supply your body with all the essential nutrients to maintain good health. Improving your general health will enable your body to maximize the effects of the BV. It is rare that an arthritic does not respond to BVT. When someone does not respond, it is most disturbing, and I try to find out why. Most often it is when an arthritic degenerates to the point where the damage to the body is irreversible. When the joints are destroyed, by the disease and perhaps even by the drugs used for treatment, improvement is limited. When the synovial lining and fluids of the joints are gone, with a bone-to-bone bearing surface, then it is obvious BVT or any kind of therapy cannot reverse this condition, though BV may be used to control pain. Joint replacement, where possible, is the final solution. The idea is to use BVT before this irreversible stage of the disease is reached. |
| I am sure both doctors and the general public believe at first that any positive effect of BVT is purely psychological. In fact, most people refuse to believe that BVT has any therapeutic effect at all on rheumatic or any other diseases. Based on my years of experience, and that of doctors who have used BVT, arthritics don't need to have any faith in BVT, or any faith in the person who is treating them. Among the people I have helped, many had no faith in me, or the bees. Others did believe that BVT could help them, and still the therapeutic effect was the same. Like death, arthritis comes with a crawl or a pounce. Either way BVT is effective, regardless of your mental or psychological outlook. This does not mean faith in BVT is not important, because it is. Not because it is needed to produce good results, but because you need a lot of faith to subject yourself several times a week to the pain of the bee stings. It is most important that an arthritic continues the stings for however log it takes-and that could be anywhere from one treatment to a year of treatments two or three times a week. When many arthritics first feel the pain and crippling of arthritis, they are determined not to let it get the best of them. Somehow they believe they can lick the disease by exerting sheer willpower against it. This is a noble attitude to take, but unfortunately does not seem to have much effect on the steady, relentless progress of rheumatic diseases. |
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