TREATMENT | From arthritis to back pain, apitherapy is emerging as a powerful complementary treatment, helping
Conventional and herbal treatments are the most common practices in the health sector known to tackle the majority of body conditions. However, the introduction of apitherapy brings a new dimension to medical care—one that has helped hundreds of people recover from conditions that have troubled them for years. Florence Njeri from Eldoret was referred to the apitherapy centre located in Kandara, Murang’a, by a friend who had been healed of arthritis, which had affected her legs for several years. Njeri has attended five sessions so far and has noticed significant improvement in her leg. “When I came here, my leg was so inflamed I could barely walk, but now I am able to walk without any assistance,” she said. She explained that she had visited various hospitals but never received a cure for her condition, only costly drugs to manage it. Njeri admitted that she never knew honeybee stings had healing powers, as she only associated bees with honey—the commonly known product. “When I get back home, I will definitely refer more people to the centre because I want them to get healed like me,” she added.
Florence Njeri one of the patients attending the apitherapy sesion at the centre. RIGHT: Stephen
Kimani, the founder Bellfam, which offers apitherapy to the patients. PHOTO | COURTESY | TRBN |
This underscores the institution’s leadership in research, innovation and partnerships.
Joseph Njuguna shares a similar testimony of how apitherapy helped cure his back pain, which had taken a toll on him for years. Numerous sessions of physiotherapy failed to relieve the pain, which made it difficult for him to walk or engage in daily activities. “I used to go to a certain facility in Nairobi that had the best machines to massage my back, but the relief was short-lived. Hours later, I was forced to take strong painkillers to reduce the pain,” said Njuguna. After being referred to the apitherapy centre by a friend, and attending a number of sessions, his back pain disappeared. “I no longer take any medication for my back, but I occasionally come to the centre for maintenance therapy,” he added. “I have also referred several people here, and they have been cured. I believe apitherapy is the best for most conditions that people are suffering from,” Njuguna said.
Nancy Waithira from Kangari has also suffered from severe back pain for several years, and numerous physiotherapy sessions have not eased her problem. Waithira said she wore a lumbar belt to relieve the pain, but it offered no solution, and she can barely manage simple tasks around the house. Her brother brought her to the apitherapy centre, and she is hopeful that honeybee stings will work their magic and relieve her pain. “My brother had the same problem, which was healed through the therapy, and I’m hoping it will also cure my back pain,” said Waithira. “I will attend all the sessions because I want this pain to go away and to get back to my normal life,” she added.
Stephen Kimani, founder of Bellafam Africa, has been running the apitherapy centre for the last three years.
