Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

661 Apitherapy and Acupuncture (Archive)

Apitherapy, the therapeutic use of bee products and particularly bee venom, has a venerable history going back thousands of years. It may sound bizarre, but some medical doctors report they have achieved excellent results in relieving pain from arthritis, tennis elbow or even post-herpetic neuralgia (excruciating pain lingering after shingles).

We spoke with several people at the meeting of the American Apitherapy Society. Some practitioners apply medicinal bee stings along acupuncture meridian points.

Acupuncture itself is usually considered outside the norm of medical practice, but an anesthesiologist at Duke University School of Medicine has studied its use and found it reduces post-operative pain and complications such as nausea.

Guests: Andrew Kochan, MD, is President of the American Apitherapy Society. He practices physical medicine and rehabilitation in Los Angeles.

Frederique Keller is vice-President of the American Apitherapy Society and practices apitherapy and acupuncture on Long Island, New York. 

Fountain Odom is a beekeeper in North Carolina who uses apitherapy to ease his arthritis. 

T. J. Gan, MD, is Professor and Vice-Chairman of Anesthesiology at Duke University School of Medicine. He has been pioneering a combination of acupuncture with anesthesia to alleviate post-surgical pain.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
3- 1 rating
About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.