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: Learn about our Medical Review Board
Meredith Bull, ND
on April 29, 2020
A type of apitherapy (from the Latin api, meaning bee ), bee sting therapy involves administering bee venom through live bee stings or injections at specific points on the body. Healers have used bee sting therapy for more than 5,000 years as a treatment for a range of health conditions including headaches, joint pain, and skin rashes. Don Farrall / Getty Images
Bee venom, also called apitoxin, contains many biologically active compounds, amino acids, and enzymes that have anti-inflammatory properties, alleviate pain, and promote healing. There are also immune-modulating effects on the body from the bee sting itself. This response is theorized to be the reason for its therapeutic effects in certain conditions caused by an imbalanced immune system response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema). 1 ﻿
Today, bee venom is being investigated to treat the following conditions: 2 ﻿
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Eczema
Psoriasis
Health Benefits
Bee sting therapy has shown promise, though most of the research is limited to cell cultures and animal studies. 3 ﻿ However, a few small clinical trials have found bee sting therapy to be a safe and effective treatment for a few conditions. Here's a look at some key findings from recent studies.