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Bee Venom Therapy

By Archived User | Updated: Dec 31, 2021 | Published: Dec 31, 2021

I've just started researching bee venom therapy for MS and haven't been able to find TCM based information. I'd love to hear from practioners with information about this modality that includes which points to use and (in TCM terms) why---does the venom dry damp? Is this a case of fighting fire with fire? Or is the venom tonifying to Earth? Will it drive out wind?

The latest study that I've found, (2009 by Nancy Walsh) was criticized by the American Apitherapy Society (AAS) for not following their protocol. Specifically, for injecting the "upper thigh" instead of the "spine." I'm guessing that the AAS recommends stinging the huatojiaji pointts, but I haven't gotten far enough in to it to tell for sure.

Perhaps someone who studies the classic TCM texts can help?

peace, love and gratitude

Archived Comments

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

You may want to better clarify (limit) your question to have more productive discussions on the issue - I&#39m curious as well. In general, however, I don&#39t think bee venom has much relation, if any, to Classical Chinese Medicine. For the Chinese, as well as us, it seems to be a somewhat new "trend."

There are acupuncturists using the theory, but in the studies that I&#39ve seen there really isn&#39t much acupuncture involved and in others it&#39s simply a combination using acupuncture as anyone would use it and then bee stings as a local treatment for inflammation. Some use the stings on points, but I&#39ve seen less studies related to that. Within pubmed.gov there are around 30 or so studies looking at apitherapy and a few of those combine acupuncture, so they are worth looking through.

One study using acupuncture and apitherapy for parkinsons is an example of one of the combination studies worth looking at.

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