Effectiveness of leech therapy in XXXX : a randomized, controlled trial.

@entity1 @entity626 @entity571 @entity3522 @entity4207 @entity158
BACKGROUND: Leech therapy was commonly used in traditional medicine for treating @entity158 . Clinically significant @entity158 relief after leech therapy for @entity626 has been demonstrated by preliminary data. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of leech therapy for symptomatic relief of @entity626 . DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient department for integrative medicine of an @entity4207 teaching hospital. @entity1 : 51 @entity1 with @entity626 (leech therapy: 24 @entity1 , mean age [+/-SD], 62.5 +/- 10.2 years; topical diclofenac therapy: 27 @entity1 , mean age [+/-SD], 65.5 +/- 6.7 years). INTERVENTION: A single treatment with 4 to 6 locally applied leeches (leech therapy group) or a 28-day topical diclofenac regimen (control group). MEASUREMENTS: Mean of the @entity158 , function, and stiffness subscores of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities @entity571 Index and physical sum score of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey with group comparisons at days 3, 7, 28, and 91. RESULTS: The primary end point, @entity158 at day 7, was reduced from a mean (+/-SD) of 53.5 +/- 13.7 to 19.3 +/- 12.2 after leech therapy compared with 51.5 +/- 16.8 to 42.4 +/- 19.7 with topical @entity3522 (estimated group difference, -23.9 [95% CI, -32.8 to -15.1]; P < 0.001). Although the difference between group @entity158 scores was no longer significant after day 7, differences for function, stiffness, and total symptoms remained significant in favor of leech therapy until the end of study and for quality of life until day 28. Results were not affected by outcome expectation. CONCLUSIONS: Leech therapy helps relieve symptoms in @entity1 with @entity626 . The potential of leech therapy for treating @entity571 and the pharmacologic properties of leech saliva remain to be clarified.
