I read that a woman cured her CRPS in 2012 with leech therapy based on this article. http://www.lifescript.com/health/cen..._syndrome.aspx

Has anyone heard of this?

we just found we have leeches in the river where we swim (pool of still water ) thanks to my son getting one. Maybe I should go for a long soak

I'm confused about this. CRPS is a nerve thing. Leeches suck blood

At first it seemed weird, but after thinking about it is possible that removing stagnant/ pooled blood may help free nerves and/or maybe the eel's anticoagulant helps repair nerves.

After standing or walking my CRPS foot has big fat veins sticking up. It also is swollen, my ankle has a permanent round lump on the ankle.

The only thing that has helped me get swelling down in my CRPS limb is the Bowen Technique washing soda compresses.

I would do the leeches in a heartbeat, only because I cannot see a downside and I am willing to try anything at this point, because the pain is destroying me.

In 2006 when my father had horrible bedsores I asked about "maggot therapy," the response I got from the wound nurses was nasty. When I next asked if I could try packing the wounds with sugar, they went nuts. Their gauze/ ointment therapy was tortuously cruel and it made the wounds worse. I think maggots and sugar are being used now, along with patches made of silicone.

Heck, Let's just have a leech party. Maybe we would get some kind of relief. There may be something to this, especially in the acute phase. Leeches release all kinds of complex compounds that numb pain, reduce inflammatory compounds and cause vasodilation. There may be actions that aren't even fully understood and since the mechanism of CRPS isn't fully understood....who knows. Considering everything we go through, having a few bloodsuckers hanging around seems downright friendly.

Take me with you!

I remember something about bee therapy years ago, too.