Ayurveda a thousand-year-old science very well explains the all-natural method to purify blood called “Raktmokshana”. Leech therapy in Ayurveda is one of them.
“Shankham chakram JALOKA” ……||
Leeches are crucial to the study of Ayurveda, as evidenced by the fact that Lord Dhanvantari, the “Doctor of Lords,” is holding one in his right hand. In Ayurveda, toxic blood is removed from the body or the afflicted organ using a leech so that the body’s own process of cell development may take over and eliminate the disease’s primary cause.
According to Ayurvedic medicine, “Leech Therapy” is a para-surgical procedure termed “Jalaukavacharana” that involves sucking blood from the patient. The major text of Ayurveda, the “Sushruta Samhita,” explains the “Jalaukavacharana” therapy. “The Father of Surgery” is Susruta.
JALU – WATER
AAYU – LIFE
As they live and grow in water, they are called “JALAYUKA.”
Leeches come in approximately 600 different species. In reconstructive surgery, if a flap or replanted finger has acquired venous congestion, leeches are still employed today. Leeches remove extra venous blood, improving the likelihood that the flap or replant would survive.
Because it is nourishment for them in the natural world, leeches ingest blood. They feed on the blood of other insects, fish, and other tiny creatures to stay alive. In leech therapy in Ayurveda, this trait or propensity is extremely creatively employed to treat sickness by getting rid of its bodily source.
Due to their dread of being bitten by a leech, many individuals are reluctant to explore this sort of treatment, despite the fact that it has immeasurable advantages. To determine the underlying cause of the ailment you are seeking to treat, you must first contact a skilled and experienced Ayurvedic practitioner. If necessary, you should next follow the doctor’s instructions for the “Leech Therapy” treatment regimen. Though not all varieties of leeches are helpful.
What’s the difference between a leech and a medicinal leech?
- Not all leeches are toxic or medicinal. As soon as it attaches to its host, the medical leech emits an anaesthetic that blinds the host to the parasite’s presence.
- Hirudin, a long-acting anticoagulant, is found in leech saliva. Once removed, this leads to persistent bleeding.
- The colouring of medicinal leeches is green, and they have blue lines on them.
Are there any types of leeches?
According to their toxicity, leeches are divided into poisonous and non-poisonous varieties in traditional Indian medicine.
There are two types of leeches:
These are once more divided into 12 categories, each of which has a Sanskrit name.
- Savisha (toxic): Swelling, itching, fever, burning feeling, vomiting, drunkenness, or redness around the bite site can all be symptoms of toxic leeches.
- Nirvisha (not-toxic): Non-poisonous leeches don’t have side effects. Bloodletting is accomplished with hirudin medications. These leeches have six longitudinal stripes and a black hue.
There are six different varieties of Savisha (toxic) and Nirvisha (non-toxic) leeches.
In which diseases leeches are effective?
Leech therapy in Ayurveda is beneficial for treating many medical conditions, but they are particularly helpful during replant surgery.
- Blood vitiated with Pitta Dosha
- Psoriasis
- Poison
- Old or deep wounds
- Nail psoriasis
- Haemorrhoids
- Loss of skin sensation
- Diabetic ulcer
- Vitiligo
- Abscess
- Diseases of the neck and eye
- Any kind of pain
- Varicose veins
- Children, the elderly, fearful, debilitated ladies, and someone with a delicate constitution
- All kinds of skin diseases
- Inflammation of the joints
- Arthritis/osteoarthritis
- Headache
- Tumours of the abdomen (gulma)
- Knee effusion
- Vata Rakta (gout)
- Scalp psoriasis
- Acne, pigmentation
- Sciatica, lumber spondylosis
- Chronic skin conditions like eczema
- Herpes
- Scurvy
In which condition leeches are not useful or contraindicated?
- Hemophilia
- Leukemia
- Anaemia
- Hepatitis
- Pregnant women
- HIV positive
- Cancer wounds
- Bleeding piles
- Very thin people
When is Leech Therapy done?
- Bloodletting is one sort of Ayurvedic Panchakarma, also known as Raktmokshana. Leeches grow to love blood and become skilled at sucking it.
- Each end of a leech’s body has a sucker. They employ them for general inch worming. The leech is anchored by the large sucker at the rear. Three razor-shaped teeth are located in a muscular jaw located within the front sucker. To look through the skin, they employ them.
- Leeches are an effective treatment for a number of disorders, including blood clotting, skin problems like vitiligo or psoriasis, inflammation, discomfort, and abscesses. Leeches serve to increase blood flow in tissue or a skin flap that has poor blood circulation.
- Leches are excellent for cleaning processes. It cleans the blood, which covers an area of roughly one cm square. They adhere to the desired location and draw blood.
- The proteins and peptides that thin blood and prevent clotting are then released. Circulation and tissue death are enhanced by this.
