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Bee-sting therapy, an alternative
Bees are prepared for use in alternative health therapies in Sleman, Yogyakarta
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Bees are prepared for use in alternative health therapies in Sleman, Yogyakarta. (JP/Slamet Susanto)
If you've had trouble conceiving for some time, you might want to try apitherapy, otherwise known as bee-sting therapy, in Moyudan, Sleman regency in Yogyakarta.
It is believed apitherapy can make nerves in the body act normally, thanks to substances found in bee stings.
Wawan and Maria, who have been married for five years and were having trouble conceiving, have faith in the alternative therapy.
The couple from Prambanan in Klaten regency, Central Java, were still unable to conceive after going through many procedures and treatments with specialists.
"We saw some specialists and the results were always negative. We were so frustrated," said Maria.
After undergoing bee-sting therapy on 20 different occasions, she became pregnant and the couple now has a one-year-old child.
Treating nerves using apitherapy is believed to work for those who have suffered heart attacks or strokes and for those suffering diabetes, migraines, rheumatism and other health problems.
Sulasmi, 52, for example, was suffering from diabetes and had experienced heart attacks.
"I felt bored going to and from the hospital, and it was expensive," the woman from Colomadu, Karanganyar, Central Java told The Jakarta Post.
She said she felt lucky apitherapy was available in Moyudan.
"I've just had two bee-sting treatments. My body already feels fresh and more alive," she said.
"The first time I had it, I felt an itch when I was stung by the bee. It felt as though I had been bitten by an ant," she said.
As a medical treatment, the use of bee stings has been recognized by the World Health Organization. At the second World Acupuncture Therapy Conference on Bee Stings in Nanjing, China, in 1993, the WHO recognized apitherapy as a legitimate alternative treatment. It is now used in many countries, such as China, Korea, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia.
Hendro Wardoyo has offered apitherapy in Moyudan, Sleman, Yogyakarta since 1991.
"Basically, a person gets sick because one of the body's nerve functions has been disturbed. Some nerves get disturbed after it has been forced to do physical work," said Hendro.
The bee sting contains 40 substances, including 11 peptides, five enzymes, three amines, carbohydrates, fats and amino acids.
The peptides have qualities that resist infections, the growth of fungus and bacteria and are antipyretic. This substance also stimulates ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone), encouraging the production of the hormone cortisone, which is useful in treating rheumatism.
The bee stings also contain melittin and apamin, which stimulate the adrenalin and pituitary glands to produce the cortisone hormone and steroids. The peptide acts as an antigen.
"The substances found in bee stings return the body's nerves to normal and this makes the body better," said Hendro.
Using the acupuncture method, the bee venom is introduced through nerve points in the body. Through the circulation of blood, the chemicals are distributed throughout the body and start working.
The dosage depends on the patient's condition and resistance to the therapy. "It's difficult to measure because we need to know where the nerve point is for the bee sting and the jab," said Hendro.
"Although many people work here, not everyone can do it. There is a special process and technique to touch the bee and make it sting. And, of course, we need to learn about health and human biology," he said.
The benefit of bees has been explained in the Koran. It says the material from a bee's stomach can be medicinal to humans and honey can be used to treat physical diseases.
Hendro's attraction to apitherapy began when he was delegated to take part in a workshop on bee cultivation held in Jakarta back in the 1980s.
As a devout Muslim, Hendro wanted to prove the truth of the Koran's An Nahl verses 68-69, which explain how the bee can benefit human health.
After reading much information about honey, Hendro carried out research for nine years during the period 1982-1991.
"Research has been carried out everywhere, particularly in Thailand. During my research, bee toxins were used to try out treatments," he said.
After he was assured bee stings could be good for human health, Hendro opened a bee-sting therapy clinic in 1991 at his house in Moyudan, Sleman.
The treatments are offered three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When the clinic is open, 150-200 patients from many cities are treated. They don't just come from Yogyakarta, but also from many other cities, like Surabaya, Denpasar and Jakarta.
Besides offering bee-sting therapy, Hendro's Kusuma Clinic offers practical treatment and sells bottled honey. A bottle of honey cost around Rp 25,000-Rp 100,000 (US$3-11).
Hendro is currently helped by 11 staff members and has not set a tariff for treatment. "People pay what they can afford and poor people don't need to pay," said Hendro.
For patients who come from outside the city, the clinic also has a room for people to stay in to rest.
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First apitherapy hospital in Indonesia
To combine modern treatment methods and traditional practices, Hendro Wardoyo is now preparing for the opening of the first apitherapy hospital in Indonesia.
"We are erecting the building, also in Moyudan, and the construction has almost finished. This will be the first apitherapy hospital in Indonesia and the second in the world. The first apitherapy hospital in the world is in China," said Hendro.
To operate the apitherapy hospital, Hendro has recruited 16 medical staff and paramedics. "As a modern hospital, it will employ doctors, like a general hospital," said Hendro.
To diagnose the patients' sicknesses, the apitherapy hospital will work with various clinics and laboratories in Yogyakarta and the Gadjah Mada University.
"The laboratory results will make it easier for us to carry out treatment. And in all our treatments, we use ingredients from bees. The medicines also contain honey produced by bees," said Hendro.
Hendro said when the hospital was running, it would be free for poor people.
"It's a pity poor people who are ill have to pay expensive health costs. Who could refuse poor people the right to receive treatment?" said Hendro.
