Leech therapy, or hirudotherapy, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. The earliest known records of leech therapy date back to the 1500s in the wall paintings of the ancient Egyptian civilization.
Used as a natural healing method in those times, leeches were employed as the most effective method for bloodletting in patients. The earliest written references to leech therapy can be found in India from around 600 B.C.
Similar references are also found in Babylon in the 15th century B.C. The Roman philosopher Galen utilized leech therapy for the balanced functioning of the human body. It is known that the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamians, Greeks, Mayans, and Aztecs also used leech therapy. In the 1800s, the French were among the countries to apply leech therapy in their hospitals.
Countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Russia, England, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States widely use leech therapy as a complementary medical treatment in clinical settings. In countries like the USA, Germany, France, and Russia, leech farms have been established to prevent their extinction.
In 1884, Haycraft discovered a substance in leech saliva that prevents blood clotting, revolutionizing leech therapy. This substance was later named hirudin, and leech therapy began to be used in plastic surgery, particularly in reattaching severed limbs and flap surgery, establishing leech therapy as a supportive treatment in modern medicine.
After this important development, the number of successes achieved with leech therapy increased. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States approved the sale of leeches within the country, and they were authorized for general purposes, including use in plastic and microsurgery.
Leeches, which feed on stagnant blood and dead tissue, have been proven to be beneficial in treating many diseases. They have been part of medicine and treatments since ancient times.
Referred to as the "doctor of animals" or "black healer" in Anatolia, and known as "dual animals" among Tatar Turks, medical leeches have been called "leace," meaning "physician" in Old English, and have been recognized in Western literature as Hirudotherapy or Leech Therapy. Over the past 50 years, they have been the subject of numerous studies.
According to the German Health Law, medical leeches are considered "ready-made medicines" and are actively used as a health instrument that provides miraculous results in the treatment of many diseases.
Leech therapy, mentioned in the Hadith as a source of healing, has shown miraculous results in treating various diseases. It is beneficial for conditions like varicose veins, diabetic ulcers, and facial paralysis.
Anatolia, which has hosted many civilizations for centuries, has been a cradle for different cultures. Leech therapy, also known as hirudotherapy, was one of the traditional methods used by these cultures to treat diseases. The first recorded use of leech therapy in Anatolia was in the ancient civilization of Ionia, in Colophon (modern-day Izmir), in 200 B.C. by Nicader.
In the 11th century, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote about the use of leeches in treating many diseases in his work "Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb," which became a textbook in many European universities for centuries.
In the 12th century, the famous Turkish surgeon Sabuncuoğlu Şerafettin, who lived in Anatolia, used leech therapy along with other traditional treatments like cupping. His work "Cerrahiyye-i İlaniyye" made a significant contribution to global surgery.
Medical leech therapy is still used today as a traditional healing method. In Turkey, the "Regulation on Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices" was published in the Official Gazette on October 27, 2014, and leech therapy is regulated under this legislation. (Regulation on Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices, 2014)
ENZYMES SECRETED BY LEECHES
Additionally, leech saliva accelerates the repair of nerve cells and fibers due to its "neurotrophic" effect.
Due to its powerful antioxidant effects, medical leeches are also used in preventive medicine. Annual leech therapy sessions are shown to have a protective effect against infections and many other diseases throughout the year.
Leeches, increasingly used in microsurgery and plastic surgery, are considered "precious assets" by microsurgeons.
The saliva of medical leeches contains the following substances:
Leech saliva also has antibacterial properties that fight bacteria. Hirudotherapy has been proven to be effective in the treatment of many diseases. Clinical studies have recorded good results with 5-12 leeches applied in 5-10 sessions.
Leech therapy is used to treat the following conditions worldwide:
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