Title: Bee Sting Therapy: Overview and Benefits
Headings: What Is Bee Sting Therapy?
What Is Bee Sting Therapy?
Health Benefits
Psoriasis
Pain
Parkinson’s Disease
Frozen Shoulder
Arthritis
Side Effects, Risks, and Contraindications
A Word From Verywell

Content: Research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2014 tested the effects of apipuncture combined with physical therapy in 60 patients. 8 ﻿ Subjects were divided into three groups and given acupuncture with saline or two different doses of bee venom for two months, then followed up with at 12 months. Those treated with bee venom reported reduced levels of pain after treatment, and those improvements persisted a year later. Arthritis
Bee sting therapy may aid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, according to research published BMJ Open in 2014. 9 ﻿ The literature review found one small clinical trial that compared bee venom acupuncture treatments to placebos. The bee treatments were more effective at reducing pain, morning stiffness, tender joint counts, and swollen joint counts, and also improved the quality of life of patients with arthritis. However, the study authors note that the number of trials, their quality, and the total sample size was too low to draw firm conclusions regarding the effectiveness of apipuncture, and that more research is needed. Bee sting therapy was brought to modern American medicine in the mid-20th century by Vermont beekeeper Charles Mraz, who studied the clinical benefits of bee venom at Sloan-Kettering Institute and the Walter Reed Army Institute. 10 ﻿ Continuing research shows bee sting venom has promise as a treatment for autoimmune diseases, central nervous system disorders, and HIV. 2 ﻿
Side Effects, Risks, and Contraindications
Some patients may experience severe allergic reactions to bee stings.