One of the worst things about summertime, besides the very hot and humid days, are the bugs. Of those bugs, bees are possibly the most feared.

We learn from an early age to avoid bees at all cost because of their painful stinger. Often times if you ever see a person outside flailing their arms around and running in all kinds of directions, you can bet that person is trying to swat away, or run away from a bee. But what if I told you that bees, and more specifically a bee sting, could be great for your health? You would probably think I was crazy. The truth is, you may already think I am crazy because I promote 5 day water fasts for health.

Let me explain.

Last week I injured my wrist taking care of patients (this is a common injury for many chiropractors because of all of the work we do with our hands). So during the weekend I planned on icing and bracing my wrist to allow it a chance to heal. However, because I can’t stand to be still for very long, I decided to go out onto my deck and repair a piece of wood. While I was drilling some pilot holes into the overhead beam, 2 bees came out from behind the beam, and one of them stung me on my ring finger. Needless to say, that did not feel very good, and I reacted by running around my backyard squeezing and rubbing my finger. (FYI – I was told that fresh lemon juice rubbed over the sting area can immediately relieve you of the pain).

After a short time when the pain subsided, I went back to the overhead beam to CAREFULLY look behind it. To my surprise, there was a very large bees nest with at least 60 bees on it. Now, normally I am a very easy going, and relaxed person. I am also aware that the bee population is suffering and we rely on bees to pollinate our gardens and crops which is why I allow the 6 other bee hives around my sheds alone (if they do not bother me, I will not bother them). However, because of my frustration with this one particular bee (who died immediately after stinging me), and also because I still had work to do on the beam, I decided to grab my can of wasp and hornet killer. Needless to say, the world is now short 60 bees.

To get to the point of this article however, after having been stung by the bee, I noticed that along with the massive swelling in my hand, my wrist felt considerably better. It has now been about 3 days since the bee sting, my hand swelling is reducing and my wrist still feels 90% improved.

This reminded me of a documentary I saw about bees where doctors were using live bees to sting patients in areas of arthritis to reduce/relieve their painful symptoms. In fact, if you look through the scientific literature, there are numerous studies that demonstrate that bee venom can be a superior alternative to drugs for arthritis pain. In addition, bee venom has been used in traditional medicine to treat diseases, such as arthritis, rheumatism, pain, cancerous tumors, and skin diseases.

Now that I have had a couple of days to reflect on this incident, I feel blessed that God used this bee to sting my finger and provide my body with the healing necessary to get me back to work in time to continue to treat patients.

DISCLAIMER – I AM NOT ENCOURAGING YOU TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH BEE HIVES IN THE HOPES OF GETTING STUNG TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH COMPLAINT. BEE STINGS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO BEES.

At Stanly Wellness Center, we are eager and ready to help you and your families achieve the best health possible. If you are looking for help with your health or you know of someone who is suffering from poor health, call the office of Stanly Wellness Center at 980-355-7600 and schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation with Dr. Patrick Ess to see how he can help. We specialize in nutrition, detoxification and neurological correction. You can also refer to our website at www.AskDrPatrick.com for more information.