Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 29
To examine whether leech therapy is more effective than topical diclofenac in osteoarthritis (OA) of the thumb.
Patients (aged 40–85) with primary thumb OA and an initial VAS pain score >4 cm were eligible. Major exclusion criteria were haemophilic disorders, other rheumatic diseases and treatment with anticoagulants or immunosuppressives. Patients were randomised into verum or control groups and followed up for 60 days. Sixteen verum patients were treated once with one to three leeches applied topically at periarticular sites at the painful thumb joint. Sixteen control patients were treated with topical diclofenac lotion twice a day. The primary outcome measure was the change (day 0 to 7) of overall pain, defined by the sum of three 10 cm VAS pain scales (at rest, at joint movement, with grip).
Groups at baseline were balanced except for higher pain at joint movement in verum patients (P = 0.026). Overall pain improvements were higher in the verum group at day 7 (group difference 7.9 cm, 95% CI 3.8 to 12.1 cm, P = 0.0003, ANCOVA), day 30 (P = 0.0003) and day 60 (P < 0.0001). Grip strength improved significantly in the verum group at day 60 (P = 0.021) but not at day 7 (P = 0.19).
We found an overwhelming pain-relieving effect with leech therapy. The results match those on leech therapy in OA of the knee.
The study was funded by the Carstens Foundation, Essen, Germany.
