TV buffs on the lookout for unusual or “extreme” television shows should catch a telecast of “World’s Weirdest: Creepy Cures” on the National Geographic Channel.
Recently, the program focused on alternative treatment procedures that involve the use of bloodsucking leeches, bee stings, snake venom and other surprising modalities derived from nature in curing patients suffering from a wide range of exotic ailments.
To start its survey of medical arena off on a light note, the show focused on the currently trendy “aquarium pedicure” service that employs tiny fishes to nibble at patrons’ feet!
The removal of dead skin is deemed to be better and more “tinglingly” relaxing, so it has become salon customers’ service of choice—after they get over their initial nervousness or discomfiture!
It turns out that there are places in eastern Europe that have even made the service a “whole-body” and fully immersive experience!
Patrons in swimwear step into small pools where the “pedi fish” work on them from top to toe—with some particularly cooperative patrons even allowing fish to swim in and out of their open mouths, giving them an oral and dental clean-up job to boot!
Another traditional alternative treatment is the use of leeches to address ailments related to high blood pressure and conditions involving the internal organs. It may look and feel icky, but the patient featured in the show enthusiastically endorsed it and said she felt much better after the one-hour treatment. (The leeches had a pretty good time, too—burp!)
The use of bee stings in medical treatment is similarly unusual, but the procedure has its own fervent endorsers, who believe that it’s a valuable tool in the alleviation of a wide range of problems that conventional medicine can’t cure.
What made healers take “bee sting therapy” seriously was researchers’ observation that beekeepers were much healthier than the population in general!
Aside from bees, other stinging creatures like spiders have also been studied in relation to their potential as curative agents, or as therapy aides.
The telecast concluded with a feature on the use of antidote made from snake venom to save the lives of many victims of snakebite, which often used to be lethal. Now that the antidote is readily available, however, most victims’ lives are saved! In the case of a woman featured on the show, it took eight long days and more than 30 vials of the serum to do it, but she too eventually survived!
Other TV shows that attract weirdos and wackos with their unusual treats and tricks include “Catching Monsters,” “Destroyed in Seconds,” “Deadliest Catch,” “Bad Trip,” “Monster Fish,” “Gator Boys,” “Escape to Chimp Eden,” “Untamed and Uncut,” “Wipeout,” “World’s Wildest Police Videos.”
More: “Caught on Camera,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “Street Art Throwdown,” “Apocalypse,” “Swamp Wars,” “Stan Lee’s Superhumans,” “Banshee,” “Black Mirror,” “Whisker Wars,” “Bridalplasty,” “Virgin Territory,” “Sunset Daze,” “Who’s Your Daddy,” “Taking on Tyson” and “Extreme Cheapskates.” It really does take all kinds!