Author Topic: Bee sting therapy for arthritis. (Read 6161 times)

van from Arkansas · « **on:** March 03, 2020, 02:53:17 pm »

I do not recommend any person deliberately apply bee sting therapy. Stings can be very dangerous.

However, contrary to above advice, I deliberately encourage a field bee to sting my arthritic finger joint with great results. It ok to laugh or to make fun of my sting adventure.

For two days, I have endured a painful arthritic finger joint that was oscillating between pain and an insane itch. I would wake up in my sleep due to scratching my finger. Scratching my finger joint throughout the day. Scratch, scratch, scratch,,,This is really beginning to bug me as the ,itch is deep in between the bones so scratching only provided minor relief but the itch is constant. Ok, now I am getting desperate, it?s like a mosquito was feeding on my finger for two days. I was about ready to put my finger in a mouse trap when I looked at a honeybee perched on my screen porch.

Ahhhh, now I know what to do for relief. I grabbed the lil bee and placed her abdomen against my finger joint, kinda on the side and top of the finger. The bee gladly accepted my offer to sting me, sinking her stinger all the way to my bone. Did I mention my finger was inflamed, sore from arthritis?? Ok, here goes the stinger into my finger joint; I almost lost bladder control. My finger was already sore and I just deliberately jabbed a bee stinger deep into the bone and let the stinger pump venom for 30 seconds.

Then, I removed the stinger and the severe pain subsided half a minute later. By 16 minutes, I set my timer, the deep arthritis itch and pain was gone. Oh my!!!! Well worth the sting.

After the severe very painful 30 seconds of bee sting, I decided to look up the position of the nerves in the fingers. Yep, you probably guessed what I did. I placed the stinger right in top of a nerve. Just brilliant of me to look up the nerve position AFTER I already nailed it, jabbing a sharp poisonous stinger into the nerve. Sometimes ya just gotta laugh. I wanted relief so bad I was willing to try anything. The stinger did work, my arthritic joint immediately felt better after 30 seconds of lightening bolt pain to the very sore joint. Next time, I am going to look up the nerve position before I impale myself with a stinger.

So glad to have a finger joint that no longer has a two day insane itch, no more scratching!!!

Health to your bees!

Van

paus · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2020, 03:09:36 pm »

Been there done that but never "on purpose" the ladies always accommodated me. I was in front of a hive that I often sit and watch and got stung on my left hand stung while holding golf cart steering wheel. Within a few minutes aurthur was gone in my fingers. I had a high school boy that wants to have a bee project in FFA with me and we moved a quarter mile to some more hives and he got stung on his leg, No provocation just sitting in cart watching Damp weather makes the bees grouchy. Back to your point, a sting works to stop my hand pain in less than 30 min. and usually helps for about 2 weeks.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2020, 03:33:13 pm »

I took a sting on the end of my nose Sunday past, right where the outside skin and inside membrane meet! My nose was not itching, but it would not have mattered if it had been!! Actually it would not have mattered where I may have had an itch at that point! I wound not have noticed. Lol!

Phillip Hall

iddee · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2020, 03:58:49 pm »

In 2012, the doctors wanted to operate on my backbone in my neck by going through from the front, moving my esophagus to the side and going all the way to the backbone. The pain at that time covered my neck, left shoulder and left breast, including the whole left lung area. I decided to try venom therapy. For 3 months, I placed 3 stings on each side of the back of my neck every 2 to 3 days. Then 2 stings for another month. Since then, I place 2 stings on the left side about 5 or 6 times a year. 8 years now, and the pain is hardly noticeable and NO OPERATION. My wife and her sister both use a couple stings every other month or so, as needed, for the same type neck pain.

The15thMember · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2020, 04:18:35 pm »

Van, that is very funny and also awesome! No pain, no gain, right? Iddee, that's a great story too! My mom has some sort of weird joint pain in her thumb. I've been trying to get her to try being stung there, but she's too scared.

Oldbeavo · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2020, 04:23:57 pm »

Not to doubt your relief, but you may have got relief from an acupuncture effect on the nerve, just a thought.

paus · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2020, 05:05:14 pm »

As many times as I have been stung and observed reduced or no pain it is exponentially improbable that the bee stung me on a nerve every time.

tycrnp · « **Reply #7 on:** March 03, 2020, 09:36:02 pm »

I had to cut of my wedding band because my hand swelled so bad after a sting. I'll pass.

Bob Wilson · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2020, 11:16:21 pm »

How many of you beeks swell up when stung? I have barely a little bump and no swelling at all. A few minutes later, I can't even tell.

van from Arkansas · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2020, 11:26:53 pm »

Mr. Bob, I am same as you described, lil reaction most of my life. Beginning about 60 years of age: a sting maybe reactive or not. I never know in advance, nor do I worry about a sting. I can take predisone, steroid, if I react.

Health to your bees.

Van

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2020, 01:29:41 am »

Van,
Wesley used to beg for a sting in his back almost every day to relieve back pain.
I have had problems with my shoulders if I do not get stung regularly, especially during winter.
I have a friend who has been getting stung every day for over 25 years. If she isn?t able to get bee stings she is bed ridden until she does.
Another friend is alive today because she started beekeeping after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer over 17 years ago. She gets a sting every day. She did not start for a good reason, she knew she was allergic when she was young.
Apitherapy is real and very helpful especially for arthritis and Fibromyalgia.
Jim Altmiller

Beelab · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2020, 04:32:27 am »

Yes, apitherapy works on many levels, including all bee products.
There is limited information out there, but not a great deal of reviewed scientific research.
We treat wounds, however bad, with fresh honey, and had exceptional healing results. No scaring either.
When the doctor said we sure need antibiotics. Ha.

CoolBees · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2020, 11:16:14 am »

Quote from: Bob Wilson on March 03, 2020, 11:16:21 pm

How many of you beeks swell up when stung? I have barely a little bump and no swelling at all. A few minutes later, I can't even tell.

It seems to depend on the sting, for me - sometimes I swell, sometimes I don't.

Nock · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2020, 12:35:11 pm »

I don?t have any symptoms till about 24 hours later. May swell slightly just depends on location. Mostly itches.

The15thMember · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2020, 01:20:45 pm »

I swell up like crazy every time, although I don't get stung very often. The swelling gets worse for 24 hrs. and then starts to go down. I've started to always take Benadryl after a sting, and that has helped a little bit.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #15 on:** March 04, 2020, 01:44:28 pm »

"I swell up like crazy every time, although I don't get stung very often. The swelling gets worse for 24 hrs. and then starts to go down. I've started to always take Benadryl after a sting, and that has helped a little bit. "

I had the same problem at first. Jim helped me with this along with one of our members which is a Emergency room nurse. I combined the two suggestions for great results until I built up a tolerance. I used the benadryl and hydrocortisone cream combined, with a benadryl and a zantac tablet. That combination did the trick. However my first sting of this season, I did swell. Since that sting, I have been stung several more times and things are back to normal.

Phillip Hall

Ralphee · « **Reply #16 on:** March 04, 2020, 10:15:41 pm »

I looked into this briefly a while ago and thought it made a lot of sense.
Bee venom has strong anti-bac and anti-inflammatory properties
I have a "gut issue" that is inflammatory and triggered by stress - i love the irony here, how stressful is it to intentionally get stung?? ha ha ha ha
Professionals use a mesh that stops the stinger from lodging in the skin - not sure how that works, has anyone ever done this??
Can you buy this mesh? I know we have thousands of 'volunteers' to sting me, but if there is a better way to do it...

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2020, 04:38:00 am »

Ralphee,
I suspect what you are referring to is putting something over the skin to make removing the stinger easy. Just sting through a piece of cloth and then pull the cloth away to remove the stinger.
Caution, use a piece of rag and throw it away. It will have venom dust on it and this can cause an allergic reaction to anyone tho breathes it in and actually does not get stung. Ie. spouses and family members that do the laundry.
Jim Altmiller

jimineycricket · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2020, 09:57:56 am »

When I accidentally get stung and scrape the stinger off immediately, get almost no swelling at all. Cannot even fnd the sting site in 20 minutes. However, when I deliberately invite a sting and watch the full injection for a minute or so, then there is slight swelling in a 2 inch diameter circle, hardly noticeable to another person. It lasts maybe two days.

I hope this doesn't get lost in the rest of the comments, but do you other folks who administer sting therapy for arthritis sting yourself at the arthritis location, or does some other location on your body work just as well?

jimmy

iddee · « **Reply #19 on:** March 05, 2020, 11:47:52 am »

As old beavo mentioned, acupuncture works. The bee venom works, along with the sting working as acupuncture, so a sting on the pain site works better than one remote to the pain.

van from Arkansas · « **Reply #20 on:** March 05, 2020, 05:26:59 pm »

I will add a bit to what ID said. Yep it works, but do NOT press a bee abdomen against your skin as I did. A person is supposed to brush or just tap the abdomen to your skin. If you hold the abdomen to your skin, the stinger goes in very deep, I mean penetrates, like, all ya see is the poison sac hanging onto your skin.

Use the honeybee abdomen, like striking gently a match to your skin is the best way I can state it.

Van

Ben Framed · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2020, 09:24:37 pm »

Quote from: van from Arkansas on March 05, 2020, 05:26:59 pm

I will add a bit to what ID said. Yep it works, but do NOT press a bee abdomen against your skin as I did. A person is supposed to brush or just tap the abdomen to your skin. If you hold the abdomen to your skin, the stinger goes in very deep, I mean penetrates, like, all ya see is the poison sac hanging onto your skin.

Use the honeybee abdomen, like striking gently a match to your skin is the best way I can state it.

Van

Van I would think that if the pain or itch was deep in the joint as you described in your particular situation, the deeper the better? Just as doctors inject steroids in the join when necessary? Now I'm not saying the stinger should reach the inside of the join, but perhaps at least deep enough to reach the joint or outer surface of the joint, at least penetrating the three layers of skin? Maybe by prescribing as you did, is the very reason you received prompt relief? I do not know much about the scientific research on this subject. Perhaps you have studied this in depth and these questions stand to be corrected? This is an interesting subject. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Phillip Hall

PS To take it a step further, could it be that the stinger did indeed penetrate the join area itself causing, "the severe very painful", initial pain? I don't even know if a stinger is longer enough to reach the joint even by the method that you used. lol

.

Troutdog · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2020, 11:24:20 am »

My 2 cents
Bee stings work
Bees try to sting on blocked acupuncture spots and where there is inflammation.
Swelling is from vit c deficiency and dehydration.
3g a day vit c and 4 oz water per .5 hour from morning till dinner.
Cheers

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

MikeCinWV · « **Reply #23 on:** March 07, 2020, 09:59:53 am »

I've been stinging myself, well actually wife does it for me, 15 times every other day for two years at the recommendation of my Lyme Dr. When weather is bad there are times it is up to a week between sessions. I sting then leave stinger in for 10-15 minutes. Not sure if it is helping or not but I've been willing to do anything to get better so I sting away along with all of the meds. My Lyme and Carrion's went undiagnosed for years and got into my brain causing many severe problems. I to have noticed that it seems to lessen pain and also boost energy.

van from Arkansas · « **Reply #24 on:** March 07, 2020, 03:57:33 pm »

Mr. Mike, sorry to hear about the issues. Carrion's Disease? Did you travel to South America, in the past? I am baffled by Carrion's in the USA? But what do I know?

Lyme Disease, I researched this single disease for over a decade, but I am out dated on the latest research. I realize what a terror, absolute terror, Lyme disease is. I hope the honeybees help.

Blessings

Van

herbhome · « **Reply #25 on:** March 07, 2020, 09:04:28 pm »

I don't intentionally cause the bees to sting but when they do I don't freak. I find my almost constant hip and joint arthritic pain is lessened considerably.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 07, 2020, 10:23:00 pm »

One of the reasons that I got into beekeeping was that I had problems with my right shoulder, I could not lift it above shoulder level. Within a few months the problem went away. If I do not get stung for long periods of time, during winter, I start having problems.
I will probably always have bee hives because of this.
Jim Altmiller

Ralphee · « **Reply #27 on:** March 10, 2020, 02:59:41 am »

Good answers everyone, i might have to browse some scientific journals when i get a chance to see if there is anything to back this up - which i doubt until a scientist uses this for their own benefit! Ha Ha Ha

iddee · « **Reply #28 on:** March 10, 2020, 05:50:36 am »

Here you are.........

https://apitherapy.org/

Ben Framed · « **Reply #29 on:** March 10, 2020, 10:31:21 am »

This is a very interesting report on research showing promising findings and results of conducted said research.

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/features/alternative-meds-update/bee-venom-therapy-too-risky-for-treating-osteoarthritis-ra-inflammation/

Phillip Hall

Michael Bush · « **Reply #30 on:** March 10, 2020, 06:30:03 pm »

I think stinging the site is unnecessary. There are two mechanisms at work and neither requires the sting to be the place that already hurts. The first is that your body makes cortisol in response to the sting. This is a systemic reaction. To make the cortisol you body requires vitamin C so make sure you are taking at least 1000mg a day. The second is the bee sting tends to balance your immune system. It seems that auto immune things like arthritis etc. get better with adequate amounts of venom in your system.

van from Arkansas · « **Reply #31 on:** March 12, 2020, 03:54:18 pm »

Received a sting today on the tip of the same finger I deliberately stung. Lil bit of pain, not much at all compared to nailing the nerve as in original post #1. Can?t even tell exactly where I was stung today, except for a tiny, very tiny red dot.

Van

FloridaGardener · « **Reply #32 on:** March 12, 2020, 09:41:14 pm »

Well folks I'm going to testify to the contrary.

I have advanced osteoarthritis in several joints, conclusively diagnosed by MRIs. Bee stings don't help my symptoms at all. Not a bit of improvement. Just my experience.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #33 on:** March 12, 2020, 10:51:14 pm »

Quote from: van from Arkansas on March 12, 2020, 03:54:18 pm

Received a sting today on the tip of the same finger I deliberately stung. Lil bit of pain, not much at all compared to nailing the nerve as in original post #1. Can?t even tell exactly where I was stung today, except for a tiny, very tiny red dot.

Van

Van did you receive the same good results?

Too bad it does not help everyone such as FlordiaGardener. I suppose different folks systems react in different ways to different situations and circumstances?

van from Arkansas · « **Reply #34 on:** March 13, 2020, 07:24:30 pm »

Mr. Ben. My finger has not bothered me since the first sting as posted in #1.

In the future though, arthritis will flair up and I will post results of bee venom. Thanks for asking.

Sorry FloridaGardener that you did not find relief from bee stings. Hope something works for your osteoarthritis,

Van

Ben Framed · « **Reply #35 on:** June 16, 2020, 01:43:10 am »

Quote from: Beelab on March 04, 2020, 04:32:27 am

Yes, apitherapy works on many levels, including all bee products.
There is limited information out there, but not a great deal of reviewed scientific research.
We treat wounds, however bad, with fresh honey, and had exceptional healing results. No scaring either.
When the doctor said we sure need antibiotics. Ha.

Beelab I will let you in on a secret of mine, I have secretly wondered if honey may have an effective response on cancer if a way to directly introduce to an effected area could be properly administered?

Hops Brewster · « **Reply #36 on:** June 16, 2020, 11:11:57 am »

So Van, let's see if I got this straight...
You killed a poor lil bee that was resting innocently on your porch just so you could scratch an itch?

I wish I could do that.
I usually feel some relief of my arthritis when I get stung, but I ain't got the guts to do it a-purpose.

Robo · « **Reply #37 on:** June 16, 2020, 09:42:03 pm »

Back when I was doing beekeeping podcasts for Wildlife Pro Network there where two episodes with Amber Rose on bee acupuncture. Amber trained and traveled the world with Charles Mraz whom many consider the grandfather of BVT in the US. I'm sure these links are buried somewhere in this forum, but I'll share them again in this post.

Direct Links

03/11/10 Bee Acupuncture - Amber Rose

04/15/12 Bee Acupuncture - Amber Rose Returns

Link to Podcast Library - (Elements Questionnaire referenced in 1st podcast)

Nock · « **Reply #38 on:** June 17, 2020, 12:29:22 pm »

I took one on the ankle yesterday. No swelling this morning. Normally I swell just a little the next day. Nothing so far. Maybe starting to build up little immunity to it.

Hops Brewster · « **Reply #39 on:** June 19, 2020, 10:55:12 am »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 07, 2020, 10:23:00 pm

One of the reasons that I got into beekeeping was that I had problems with my right shoulder, I could not lift it above shoulder level. Within a few months the problem went away. If I do not get stung for long periods of time, during winter, I start having problems.
I will probably always have bee hives because of this.
Jim Altmiller

I'm very glad it helps your shoulder issue, Jim. I hope your shoulder problem isn't too severe. One of the things I noticed about getting stung was that it helped relieve my shoulder pain, too.
Unfortunately, stings couldn't help me regain the shoulder function. I had to get the rotator cuff, bicep tendon and 2 torn muscles repaired, and 2 bone spurs (the arthritis) removed last November. Now I can throw a ball with my grandson and I'm re-learning to cast a fly.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #40 on:** June 19, 2020, 11:40:25 am »

Good for you Hops!! Good news...

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #41 on:** June 19, 2020, 11:41:16 am »

Hope,
Thanks, I have full use of both arms with no pain.
Jim Altmiller