Currently, medicine uses a huge number of methods with which you can significantly improve your he alth. Many of them have been used in practice since ancient times. One of these methods is bloodletting. The benefits for the body are obvious, but there are still heated discussions among doctors. However, many clinics and centers for alternative medicine provide a similar service. Below is information about bloodletting techniques, benefits and harms. Expert reviews are also provided.
Concept
The scientific process of bloodletting is called phlebotomy. This term refers to a technique, the essence of which is to remove a small amount of liquid connective tissue from the body. For this purpose, specialists make a small incision or puncture of a blood vessel.
Phlebotomy can be:
- Local. It implies the procedure is not a small area of the body. In this case, small incisions are made or leeches are used.
- General. In this case, work is carried out on a large area. Punctures, respectively, in this situation are made deeper.
In official sources you can find a lot of information regarding the harm of bloodletting. The benefits, however, from this procedure are also significant. Even reputable doctors resort to it when the patient is in serious condition and, according to indications, about 300 ml of liquid connective tissue must be removed from his body.
According to the nature of the incision, bloodletting can be:
- Capillary. The specialist makes a small puncture of the skin. After that, over the place of violation of its integrity, he sets the jar. Due to this, a vacuum is created, resulting in stimulation of the release of connective tissue. With regards to the benefits and harms of bloodletting with cups. The latter is reduced to almost zero if the instruments were thoroughly sterilized beforehand. In this case, the state of he alth really improves. If the procedure is carried out in violation of the norms, the risk of contracting various kinds of infections increases significantly.
- Venous. In this case, the blood flows out on its own. The outpouring of liquid connective tissue occurs through an incision in the wall of a small vein. In this case, the benefits of bloodletting are questioned by some doctors. This is due to the presence of serious risks of infection.
- Big. During the procedure, notches are made on large veins. According to doctors, there are benefits from volumetric bloodletting, but the session itself is associated with great risks. In this regard, the procedure is recommended to be done only in licensed clinics, whose employees value the reputation of the institution.
Historically, bloodletting began to be carried out almost simultaneously in several countries. Currently, 4 methods of phlebotomy have been developed. Each of them is based on the techniques and traditions of their country. The benefits and harms of bloodletting in each case are described below.
Chinese technique
Many people associate the procedure with acupuncture. This is due to the fact that the outpouring of blood passes through biologically active points. According to the reviews of Chinese experts, it is this nuance that determines the benefits. Bloodletting in this case helps to stop pain and stop the progression of pathologies, because each biologically active point is responsible for the functioning of a particular organ.
The Chinese methodology is based on ideas about the movement of energy in the body. According to the teachings of the country, it passes along certain meridians, penetrating absolutely all organs and systems. With an excess of energy in one place or another, all kinds of diseases develop. If you pierce the skin in the problem area, it will come out along with the blood.
Indications for Chinese procedure:
- Painful sensations of a sharp nature.
- Hypertension.
- Impaired functioning of the gastrointestinalpath.
- Cough.
- Meningitis.
- Rhinitis.
- Fever.
- Pharyngitis.
- Purulent lesions of the skin.
- Acne.
- Sciatica.
- Persistent convulsions.
- Sciatica.
- Presence of boils.
- Hearing impaired.
- Deterioration of vision.
- Epilepsy.
- Asthenia.
- Paresthesias.
- Lumbalgia.
- Shingles.
Chinese technique involves phlebotomy with a needle or jars. The benefits of bloodletting are the same in both cases. The doctor, after talking with the patient, chooses the method that is most appropriate for the patient.
Algorithm for needle phlebotomy:
- The person is placed on the couch. He should take the most comfortable position.
- The specialist begins to probe biologically active points.
- In the right areas, he makes punctures up to 2 mm deep.
- The specialist begins to massage the places of violation of the integrity of the skin.
- A few drops of blood can be seen in the area of each puncture. As soon as it dries up, the specialist treats the skin with an antiseptic.
- The patient remains in the selected position for another 20 minutes. In the next 2 hours, physical activity and food intake are contraindicated for him.
Cupping technique:
- The patient is placed on the couch. His skin is treated with an antiseptic.
- The specialist makes several punctures up to 3 mm deep (up to 5 mm in overweight people).
- The skin is lubricatedoil. Banks are placed on the treated areas.
- After the transformation of bleeding items are removed. A sterile bandage is applied to the puncture sites. Loads and meals in the next 2 hours are also prohibited.
The course of treatment includes up to 5 procedures. You need to do them 1-2 times a week.
Tibetan Method
At first glance, it looks like Chinese. But the Tibetan technique involves the implementation of vein punctures. The most important difference is that the points of influence are not located on the meridians along which the energy passes. They are located in the region of the veins, which are connected by anastomoses with certain organs.
The indications of the Tibetan method are the same as those of the Chinese one. But the list is supplemented by the following ailments:
- Pathologies of the head organs.
- Infectious diseases.
- Complications after treatment.
- Gout.
- Swelling and compaction of soft tissues.
- Pathologies of the lymphatic system.
Before the procedure, the patient is asked to drink herbal infusion or tea based on medicinal plants. After a while, the person should be comfortable on the couch.
Algorithm for performing phlebotomy according to the Tibetan technique:
- The specialist cleans the patient's skin and treats it with an antiseptic.
- A tourniquet is applied above the intended incision. The Tibetan technique is considered simpler than the Chinese one in the sense that it involves working with only 8 vessels (temporal, nasal, ear, liver, hollow andgenitals, calf and large leg vein).
- Specialist makes an incision. Blood should flow until a brown-pink liquid appears. As a rule, about 50 ml of liquid connective tissue comes out during this time.
- The doctor treats the wound, removes the tourniquet and applies a sterile bandage.
When carrying out the Tibetan technique, special attention is paid to the composition of the connective tissue. It is believed that bloodletting is of no benefit to the body if it is very dense and oily. In this case, the procedure ends.
European method
Technically, it is completely similar to the process of taking venous blood for analysis in the laboratory. The only difference is that a large needle is used and up to 300 ml of biological material is taken at a time. Of all the existing methods, only this one does not involve working with biologically active points. The indication for the procedure is a general improvement in he alth.
Despite the fact that the European technique does not involve notches, cuts are still sometimes made. This happens if the blood has accumulated in an area that is inconvenient for manipulation. In this situation, it is easier for the doctor to slightly cut the tissue.
Hijama (Islamic technique)
Today is very popular. The method is based on the implementation of small capillary punctures, followed by the installation of cans. The technique is based on Chinese traditions and the Koran (it is important to understand that the religious moment in thiscase for specialists is extremely important).
A lot of articles have been written about the benefits and harms of hijama (bloodletting according to Islamic methods). Many doctors are skeptical about it, due to the lack of evidence base. In other words, the benefits of bloodletting (hijama in this case) are supported only by theory. Despite the lack of research, patient feedback suggests that he alth status improves significantly after the procedure.
The list of indications for hijama bloodletting is the widest. The procedure is prescribed in the presence of the following ailments:
- Allergies.
- Hypertension.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Painful sensations of any localization.
- Varicose.
- Pathologies of the organs of the reproductive system.
- Impotence.
- Prostatitis.
- Diseases of an otorhinolaryngological nature.
- Pathologies of the thyroid gland, heart, visual and genitourinary systems.
- Depression.
- Neuritis.
- Gout.
- Rheumatism.
- Fistula.
- Hemorrhoids.
- Stool disorders.
Supporters of the technique (as a rule, these are people who honor the Koran) leave only positive feedback about the hijama. The benefits of bloodletting, in their opinion, are enormous, and the list of indications is not limited to the above ailments. They claim that with the help of the technique it is possible to cope even with immunodeficiency. According to the reviews of doctors, both the benefits and harms of bloodletting (hijamas, in particular) are very relative. The risk of infection is higher than the expected positiveimpact.
So what is the benefit
Despite the skepticism of many doctors, a large number of people turn to the centers providing the service every day. If we omit the risk of possible infection and various complications, there are still benefits from the procedure.
What it is:
- Activation of hemostasis. This is due to drip bleeding, which is a consequence of damage to the capillaries.
- Mobilization of enzymes and nerve endings. A few seconds after the puncture, the blood begins to clot, due to which the necessary zones are irritated. The body experiences a kind of jolt.
- Tissues are cleared of toxic compounds.
- The nutrition of all cells improves.
When using techniques that involve working with biologically active points, some patients experience the following positive changes:
- Improves blood composition.
- Atherosclerotic plaques break down.
- Glucose levels decrease.
- Inflammatory processes are stopped.
- Pressure drops.
In addition, bloodletting is an excellent prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system. But only if the procedure was carried out in compliance with all norms.
Contraindications
According to doctors, the harm of bloodletting outweighs the benefit if the patient suffers from the following ailments:
- Persistenthypotension.
- Hemophilia.
- Heart defects (even uncomplicated).
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Chronic atherosclerosis.
- Viral hepatitis.
- Severe anemia.
- Mental disorders.
- Exhaustion.
This procedure is strictly contraindicated for children, persons over 65 and pregnant women. Phlebotomy is also not done within a month after injury. Women should wait 1 week after the end of their period.
Possible consequences
The benefits and harms of bloodletting (hijamas, Chinese techniques, etc.) are due to the presence / absence of restrictions on the session. Ignoring existing contraindications can lead to a significant deterioration in the course of the disease, a critical drop in blood pressure, and even fainting. In addition, the work of the heart may be disturbed. Do not forget about the risk of infection if the specialist does not comply with sanitary standards.
Hirudotherapy and blood donation as bloodletting methods
These methods are officially recognized as traditional medicine and have a huge amount of positive feedback. The benefits and harms of bloodletting (hijamas and other techniques) are still the subject of heated debate, while hirudotherapy and donation have proven themselves only on the positive side.
Currently, treatment with leeches is carried out with the help of artificially grown individuals. In addition, doctors are trained in the technique, and therefore the risk of negative consequences is reduced to zero.
Hirudotherapy is prescribed for almost all diseases of the internal organs and the musculoskeletal system. A powerful healing effect has a component contained in the saliva of leeches - hirudin. At the same time, side effects occur extremely rarely, only in isolated cases the appearance of signs of an allergic reaction is noted.
Regarding donation. Doctors unanimously claim that this is the safest way to bleed. Regular delivery of liquid connective tissue in the amount of 400-450 ml contributes to overall he alth. It has been proven that donors live longer, they are less likely to develop all kinds of pathologies.
In addition, the body becomes more resilient. For example, a person (not a donor) gets into a car accident and bleeds. The body is in shock, often everything ends in the death of the victim. In this situation, a person who donates blood regularly can survive. This is due to the fact that his body is used to the constant loss of liquid connective tissue, it is much easier for him to fight for existence.
It is also impossible not to note the fact that donors help dozens of people, saving their lives.
In conclusion
Bleeding is a great way to deal with various kinds of diseases. Official medicine is skeptical about various non-traditional methods, but, nevertheless, doctors cannot but admit that there is still some benefit from them. Experts advise not to contact dubious institutions, but only to licensed centers, whose employees value their reputation. In this case, the likelihood of possible harm is minimized. Traditional medicine calls hirudotherapy and donation the most effective methods of bloodletting.
