Leeth Therapy (Jalaukavacharana) - A Novel Gift from Ayurveda for Treatment of Medico-Surgical Diseases

Abstract

Background: The first description of Jalaukavacharana (leech therapy) was found in the text of Sushruta

Samhita in 800 B.C. Recently, many researches proved that leech saliva have variety of bioactive compounds

involving anti-thrombin (hirudin, bufrudin), anti-platelet (calin), factor Xa inhibitors, antibacterial and

others property.

Aim: Main aim of present article is to explore about procedures of leech therapy and research works done

over few decades on application of leech therapy in different medico-surgical diseases.

Methodology: The procedure of leech therapy is documented from authors own observations and Information

of its application in different diseases was gathered from various published work of last ten years.

Result:-Many clinical researches show that leech therapy is very effective in various medico-surgical

diseases. Total eight publications were included in the final selection after systematic analysis.

Conclusion: -Leech therapy or Jalaukavacharan is an ancient Ayurvedic bloodletting technique which

having the great potential to manage many inflammatory, ischemic and infectious diseases. Leech’s saliva

contains many biologically and pharmacologically active compounds which exert effects anti-coagulant,

profibrinolytic, anti-platelet, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema in the host’s body. Arthritis, venous

congestion, vascular diseases, abscess, ischemic heart disease etc. can be successfully manage by leech

therapy/.