Apitherapy as a complementary therapeutic alternative for physical therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Introduction: Physical therapy in Reumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients seek reduce pain, improve join mobility, avoid muscular atrophy and increase functional activity. Our study introduces Apitherapy (bee venom therapy) like acomplementary physical modality in the rehabilitation management of RA patients in acute phase. Apitoxin or bee venom has demonstrated analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and tissue repair proprieties. Materials and methods: We selectfour AR patients, following the ACR yardsticks. They were tree adult woman anda one male who accept to participate like voluntaries in a simple observational study. All patients were full informed about the risk and potential benefit of bevenom therapy. We evaluate all patients with allergy tests and reject sensibility to apitoxin, as well other systemic diseases. All patients were evaluated with HAQ, EVA, AHI, join mobility test, and whit pain body map. The patients received conventional Physical Therapy treatment in the first phase, and them one month later, they received Physical Therapy with Apiteraphy. Outcomes: Tree of four patients (all woman) answered best to the Physical Therapy plus Apitherapy that to the Physical Therapy alone. All patients reported decreased of symptoms and greater reduction of RA sings after Physical Therapy plus Apitherapy treatment that Physical Therapy alone. The last patient hasn't changes with Apitherapy. However, none of these findings got statistics significance. Conclusions: Is possible to conjugate Physical Therapy with Apitherapy in the rehabilitation treatment of RA patients and wait positive changes in pain and physical function in some of them that can be best that Physical Therapy alone; although, his durability and long time benefits or secondary effects, must be evaluate in new studies with most patients and mainly control methods.