The Hirudo medicinalis & Hydro therapy by Aqua Pilates

In my life, I have never felt that I was compelled to choose the academic field; rather, it is a specialization I chose willingly and sincerely. I specialize in water sports and have been teaching at the university since 2010. I am a faculty member of the Faculty of Physical Education, Tanta University, Egypt. Currently, I am publishing scientific and academic research connecting aquatic exercises with therapeutic treatments on one hand, and with branches of physiotherapy and alternative medicine on the other. This is due to my firm belief in the words of Allah: "Do they not see that We made the night that they may rest therein and the day giving sight? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe." (Quran, Surah An-Nahl, 16:12)Water has numerous benefits, whether in the realm of therapy or training. I strive to unveil these benefits in my scientific publications. When I first met Mr. Researcher Syed Fathi Ghannam at the Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he astonished me with his method of treating using medicinal leeches of the species Hirudo medicinalis. I was fascinated by the ingenious ways in which these leeches contribute to therapy, which modern science is still uncovering. Because I believe in the Quranic verse, "And We sent not before you, [O Muhammad], except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message if you do not know." (Quran, Surah An-Nahl, 16:43), Mr. Syed Fathi Ghannam generously shared his expertise and provided the foundational information for this book. The crystallized idea revolved around developing a therapeutic program based on Hirudo medicinalis leeches and an aquatic therapy program using Pilates Aquatics, to explore two innovative approaches within the realms of physiotherapy, aquatic sports training, alternative medicine, potential athletic enhancement, treatment of spinal pains, varicose veins, post-thrombotic sequelae, and sexual weakness in both women and men.Despite the limited availability of information about these leeches in Arabic references, I exerted maximum effort in Western sources, hoping that this book would be the foundation for future scientific research by competent academic researchers in our Egyptian and Arab universities.In this regard, I thank everyone who facilitated the emergence of this great authorship. I thank the researcher and friend, Syed Fathi Ghannam, for providing the sample individuals and samples used from the Hirudo medicinalis leech. I also thank Mr. Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the German fitness guru and founder of the Pilates training method, for reviving his memory and for the continuous use of his methods, even as they undergo modernization and development from their traditional roots.