to bee or not to bee

To bee or not to bee that is the question. While many of us may shudder at even the thought of being stung by a bee, others of us don't actually mind being stung a time or two. There is a type of therapy dating back into ancient times where people sting themselves intentionally relying on the venom from the honey bee to cure various pains and ailments. Have you heard of it? The therapy is called apitherapy and it comes from the word “apis melliferrais” which is simply the fancy scientific way of saying honey bee.

Like any other form of alternative medicine there are many mixed opinions as to how much healing power can actually be taken from the sting of a bee. According to one site, however, honey bee venom contains over 40 different healing substances and is used to treat everything from depression to Multiple Sclerosis.

The first time I was introduced to bee venom therapy was after a weekend of snowboarding. I had fallen down the slopes so many times that at the end of the day my entire body felt like I had been hit by car. That evening a good friend of mine on the snowboarding club who makes his living as an apitherapist took me into his office and poked me several consecutive times with the stinger from a bee. The process didn’t hurt as I expected it to, but it did tingle and also itch when he was finished. So am I a believer? Well, much of the tension in my neck disappeared after receiving the therapy and even though not all of the pain vanished immediately, I can certainly understand how several therapy sessions could have healing effects.

Last week I hurt my back to the point that even breathing became difficult, so I called up my friend and yesterday I went in for another therapy session. I brought my camera along too so I could post a video online for everyone to see. Take a look.