Comparison of the effectiveness of medicinal leech and TENS therapy in the treatment of primary osteoarthritis of the knee: A randomized controlled trial
RCT published in Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie (2017)
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of leech therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in terms of duration of effectiveness and symptom relief and to compare these results with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was designed as a prospective, single center, randomized, single-blind and parallel group study. A total of 90 patients were included in the study, 46 in the leech group and 44 in the TENS group. Primary outcome measures were changes of the pain scores in visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) on the measurements day 0, 21 and 180. Secondary outcome measures were the changes in the sub-groups of the WOMAC scores. Five leeches were applied to the affected knee, once every week for 3 weeks. RESULTS: The VAS pain score showed a similar decrease in both groups in the evaluation on day 21 (p < 0.001). The course of the change of the VAS pain score in both groups was similar in the comparisons between groups. Long-term benefits of the TENS therapy group were slightly more than the leech therapy group. All the sub-scores of WOMAC in both therapy groups showed a similar decrease (p = 0.819). Throughout the study this decrease was statistically significant in both groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Leech therapy relieves symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and is as effective as TENS therapy in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. This treatment has the potential of being an additional or alternative therapy for the non-surgical management of osteoarthritis of the knee.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
A randomized trial of 90 knee osteoarthritis patients (46 leeches, 44 TENS) found similarly significant VAS pain reduction at day 21 and significant WOMAC improvement over the study period in both groups, though long-term benefit was slightly greater with TENS; leech therapy appears comparably effective.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This prospective, single-center, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group trial compared leech therapy (5 leeches applied to the affected knee once weekly for 3 weeks) with TENS therapy in 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis, using VAS and WOMAC scores at days 0, 21, and 180. Both groups showed similar statistically significant decreases in VAS pain and WOMAC sub-scores, with TENS showing slightly greater long-term benefit. This is a controlled trial demonstrating leech therapy's symptomatic efficacy in knee osteoarthritis. The honest caveat is that the two modalities showed roughly comparable outcomes rather than leech superiority, clinical durability beyond six months is not addressed, and mechanisms of action are not investigated.
Citation
Reference (Vancouver style)
Isik M, Ugur M, Yakisan RS, Sari T, Yilmaz N. Comparison of the effectiveness of medicinal leech and TENS therapy in the treatment of primary osteoarthritis of the knee: A randomized controlled trial. Z Rheumatol. 2017;76(9):798-805. doi:10.1007/s00393-016-0176-1. PMID: 27535276
Bibliographic details (authors, volume, pages, DOI) are taken from the PubMed record.
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