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The surprising comeback of leeches in treating illness [1]
['Ellsworth Toohey']
Date: 2025-08-29
Alexandra Balwit's article, "Leeches and the Legitimizing of Folk-Medicine" explores how leeches, once dismissed as medieval quackery, are gaining new respect in modern medicine. "Men would rather pop Viagra forever than let a leech near their body," Dr. Andrei Dokukin tells Balwith. Dokukin is a California physician using leech therapy to treat chronic pain and circulatory issues.
These blood-sucking worms are proving valuable for a range of conditions. Their saliva contains over 20 bioactive compounds, including hirudin, a powerful anticoagulant. These substances can decrease inflammation and improve blood flow in targeted areas.
Dr. Jayant Agarwal, head of Plastic Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, explains their usefulness in reconstructive surgery: "If there's a pooling of blood, or the venous system is not functioning properly, the tissue can't get new, fresh oxygen or nutrients, and it has a harder time healing and surviving."
Early research is promising. A 2018 meta-analysis found leech therapy improved outcomes for knee osteoarthritis patients. Despite FDA approval in 2004, leech therapy remains understudied in the West. Meanwhile, it's widely used in countries like India and Russia as a low-cost alternative to expensive pharmaceuticals.
Previously:
• Leech smuggler busted at Toronto airport
• What leeches and ligers can teach you about evolution
• Acrobatic leeches are nightmare fuel
• Nose-dwelling leech
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