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Therapies with medicinal leeches

A natural, systemic method in the hands of experienced therapists. A warm, dedicated approach — for your trust and wellbeing.

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Therapies with medicinal leeches

A traditional ancient method that has gained new momentum through recent research.

A traditional method with a long history and a contemporary research interest

Medicinal leeches have accompanied humankind for millennia. Today, interest in hirudotherapy is once again growing, as numerous studies examine the action of the bioactive substances that the leech releases into the body during therapy. Specially bred medicinal leeches are used for therapies, and not all species are suitable for therapeutic use. There are also different approaches to performing hirudotherapy. Among them, a special place is held by the systemic approach, which considers the person as a whole rather than merely through individual symptoms. Between 100 and 120 bioactive substances have been discovered in the saliva of the medicinal leech, some of which scientists are still researching. Because of their action, hirudotherapy has become of interest both to researchers and to therapists around the world.

Therapies with medicinal leeches
A systemic approach to hirudotherapy

A systemic approach to hirudotherapy

The systemic approach is based on the idea that well-being is connected to the balance of the various bodily systems. The aim of the therapies is not to focus on an individual symptom alone, but to support the body’s natural regulatory processes. The method was developed by academician Prof. Albert Ivanovich Krashenyuk, together with his wife Svetlana Vladimirovna

This approach combines many years of practical experience, traditional knowledge and contemporary observations and research. In Russia it has been the subject of numerous professional studies and represents one of the most developed directions of modern hirudotherapy.

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Areas of traditional use

Areas where medicinal leeches are traditionally used as a complementary approach. Their use does not replace medical examination, diagnosis or treatment.

  • circulation problems
  • a feeling of heavy legs and varicose veins
  • muscle and joint strain
  • tension and chronic stress
  • certain inflammatory conditions
  • rehabilitation after injuries and operations
  • support for tissue regeneration
  • aesthetic and cosmetic purposes

“All truth passes through three stages: first, it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; third, it is accepted as self-evident.”

— Arthur Schopenhauer

Did you know?

Myths and facts about medicinal leeches

Medicinal leeches are used for therapeutic purposes under controlled conditions and originate from specially bred colonies. In Europe, the species most commonly used are Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudo verbana and Hirudo orientalis.

It is often mistakenly assumed that the leech’s action is primarily connected to the removal of blood. In reality, researchers devote the most attention to the bioactive substances that the leech releases into the tissue during the bite. Among them are substances associated with the regulation of blood clotting, local circulation and other biological processes.

Leeches hold an important place in many traditional medical systems, among others in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and other historical practices. On Slovenian territory too, we find numerous local and historical traces connected to their use.

Hirudotherapy is today a field where tradition, practical experience and contemporary research come together. The purpose of this website is to present information that allows visitors to form their own opinion about this interesting method.

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