Posted on by Carrie Eidson

Though Xpress was not able to run the full statement from the physicians at Asheville Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center in our print edition, we have added it here:

Bee venom reduces inflammation and pain in a number of experimental models. There have been few studies conducted in humans, and there is no standard bee venom product or dosing. There also are reports of arthritis and autoimmune disease being caused by bee stings and venom.

We are hopeful that good scientific studies in the future will allow health care providers and patients to determine the benefits and risks of treatments which make use of bee venom. Until such time, physicians must continue to make recommendations based on treatments which are adequately studied. There are many different types of arthritis and many different types of autoimmune disease, and physicians trained in the evaluation and treatment of these conditions can help patients find the most beneficial and safe treatments available.

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About Carrie Eidson
Multimedia journalist and Green Scene editor at Mountain Xpress. Part-time Twitterer @mxenv but also reachable at ceidson@mountainx.com. Follow me @carrieeidson
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