Leeches given second bite

Leeches, the tiny, blood-sucking parasites used by doctors to treat a variety of ailments before the advent of modern medicine, can help relieve the chronic pain of osteoarthritis, say researchers.

Doctors at the Essen-Mite Clinic in Germany conducted a small pilot study. They said the slimy creatures relieved pain without any side-effects for 10 osteoarthritis sufferers.

"We regard the observed clear treatment effect as remarkable," said Dr Gustav Dobos, in a letter to the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. "Treatment with leeches reduced pain significantly after three days and up to four weeks."

The leeches were left on the patients' knees for 80 minutes. Some complained that the initial bite of the leech was painful.

The researchers said the blood-suckers produced faster pain relief than conventional drugs given to patients in a control group.

Leeches remove blood through a tiny incision in their teeth. Their saliva contains analgesic and anaesthetic compounds, as well as hirudin, an anti-bloodclotting agent.

Dr Dobos and his colleagues called for further studies.

- REUTERS