{"title":"水蛭治疗湿疹(Nār Fārsī)的临床疗效:一项开放标签单组临床研究。","authors":"Basha Sadhik Ulla P, Bibi Aaisha, Sjb Bokhari, P Zabiulla, Md Anzar Alam, Sadia Nikhat","doi":"","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eczema, known as Nār Fārsī in Unani medicine, is a chronic skin disorder characterized by intense pruritus, dryness, and scaling of skin, along with periodic flares and remissions. Unani literature recognizes it as a disorder caused by safrāwī (bilious) humor. Conventional treatment relies on emollients, humectants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unani medicine recommends the expulsion of morbid matter by local blood-letting or oral therapies. Leech therapy, used in many traditional medicine systems for centuries, is a method of expulsion of morbid humors from a disease site. It is prescribed for diseases of joints, skin, the nervous system, etc. Contemporary research has identified many bioactive enzymes and proteins in leech saliva that have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, vasodilatory, antimicrobial, and many other effects.</p><p><strong>Primary study objective: </strong>This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of leech therapy in eczema patients based on standard parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An open-label, single-arm clinical study was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with eczema.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>Four sessions of leech therapy were carried out with a one-week gap in between.</p><p><strong>Primary outcome measures: </strong>The effectiveness of leech therapy was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) Score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Statistically significant improvement was observed in the severity of eczema, as reflected in the EASI Score parameters, i.e., redness (P = .0001), edema (P = .0001), excoriation (P = .0022), and lichenification (P = .0001). However, the decrease in total area involved was not statistically significant (P = .24).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Leech therapy was found to be safe and effective in relieving the severity of eczema. All patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment, without any drop-outs, indicating excellent adherence to the therapy. With further research, leech therapy may provide positive outcomes in eczema in clinical settings, providing relief to the suffering patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":7571,"journal":{"name":"Alternative therapies in health and medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Clinical Efficacy of Leech Therapy (Ta'līq al-'Alaq) in Eczema (Nār Fārsī): An Open-Label Single-Arm Clinical Study.\",\"authors\":\"Basha Sadhik Ulla P, Bibi Aaisha, Sjb Bokhari, P Zabiulla, Md Anzar Alam, Sadia Nikhat\",\"doi\":\"\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eczema, known as Nār Fārsī in Unani medicine, is a chronic skin disorder characterized by intense pruritus, dryness, and scaling of skin, along with periodic flares and remissions. Unani literature recognizes it as a disorder caused by safrāwī (bilious) humor. Conventional treatment relies on emollients, humectants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unani medicine recommends the expulsion of morbid matter by local blood-letting or oral therapies. Leech therapy, used in many traditional medicine systems for centuries, is a method of expulsion of morbid humors from a disease site. It is prescribed for diseases of joints, skin, the nervous system, etc. Contemporary research has identified many bioactive enzymes and proteins in leech saliva that have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, vasodilatory, antimicrobial, and many other effects.</p><p><strong>Primary study objective: </strong>This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of leech therapy in eczema patients based on standard parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An open-label, single-arm clinical study was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with eczema.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>Four sessions of leech therapy were carried out with a one-week gap in between.</p><p><strong>Primary outcome measures: </strong>The effectiveness of leech therapy was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) Score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Statistically significant improvement was observed in the severity of eczema, as reflected in the EASI Score parameters, i.e., redness (P = .0001), edema (P = .0001), excoriation (P = .0022), and lichenification (P = .0001). However, the decrease in total area involved was not statistically significant (P = .24).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Leech therapy was found to be safe and effective in relieving the severity of eczema. All patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment, without any drop-outs, indicating excellent adherence to the therapy. With further research, leech therapy may provide positive outcomes in eczema in clinical settings, providing relief to the suffering patients.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":7571,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Alternative therapies in health and medicine\",\"volume\":\" \",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.9000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-04-30\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Alternative therapies in health and medicine\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Alternative therapies in health and medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical Efficacy of Leech Therapy (Ta'līq al-'Alaq) in Eczema (Nār Fārsī): An Open-Label Single-Arm Clinical Study.
Background: Eczema, known as Nār Fārsī in Unani medicine, is a chronic skin disorder characterized by intense pruritus, dryness, and scaling of skin, along with periodic flares and remissions. Unani literature recognizes it as a disorder caused by safrāwī (bilious) humor. Conventional treatment relies on emollients, humectants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unani medicine recommends the expulsion of morbid matter by local blood-letting or oral therapies. Leech therapy, used in many traditional medicine systems for centuries, is a method of expulsion of morbid humors from a disease site. It is prescribed for diseases of joints, skin, the nervous system, etc. Contemporary research has identified many bioactive enzymes and proteins in leech saliva that have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, vasodilatory, antimicrobial, and many other effects.
Primary study objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of leech therapy in eczema patients based on standard parameters.
Methods: An open-label, single-arm clinical study was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with eczema.
Intervention: Four sessions of leech therapy were carried out with a one-week gap in between.
Primary outcome measures: The effectiveness of leech therapy was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) Score.
Results: Statistically significant improvement was observed in the severity of eczema, as reflected in the EASI Score parameters, i.e., redness (P = .0001), edema (P = .0001), excoriation (P = .0022), and lichenification (P = .0001). However, the decrease in total area involved was not statistically significant (P = .24).
Conclusion: Leech therapy was found to be safe and effective in relieving the severity of eczema. All patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment, without any drop-outs, indicating excellent adherence to the therapy. With further research, leech therapy may provide positive outcomes in eczema in clinical settings, providing relief to the suffering patients.
期刊介绍:
Launched in 1995, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine has a mission to promote the art and science of integrative medicine and a responsibility to improve public health. We strive to maintain the highest standards of ethical medical journalism independent of special interests that is timely, accurate, and a pleasure to read. We publish original, peer-reviewed scientific articles that provide health care providers with continuing education to promote health, prevent illness, and treat disease. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine was the first journal in this field to be indexed in the National Library of Medicine. In 2006, 2007, and 2008, ATHM had the highest impact factor ranking of any independently published peer-reviewed CAM journal in the United States—meaning that its research articles were cited more frequently than any other journal’s in the field.
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine does not endorse any particular system or method but promotes the evaluation and appropriate use of all effective therapeutic approaches. Each issue contains a variety of disciplined inquiry methods, from case reports to original scientific research to systematic reviews. The editors encourage the integration of evidence-based emerging therapies with conventional medical practices by licensed health care providers in a way that promotes a comprehensive approach to health care that is focused on wellness, prevention, and healing. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine hopes to inform all licensed health care practitioners about developments in fields other than their own and to foster an ongoing debate about the scientific, clinical, historical, legal, political, and cultural issues that affect all of health care.