Psoriases
Psoriasis
Psoriasis isn’t a hidden problem. When it flares up, red, scaly sores form on your elbows, knees, scalp, chest and back, itching like crazy and defying all attempts to make them go away.
Psoriasis is skin growth gone bananas. Your average skin cell grows, matures and sheds in about a month, leaving room for new skin. But when you have psoriasis, some cells grow about seven times faster than normal. Your body has a hard time shedding them off because they develop so quickly. The result is the telltale crusty lesions.
No one is sure what causes psoriasis. Doctors know that it doesn’t spread from person to person, though it does run in families. There’s no known cure for psoriasis. But the natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help lessen the severity of psoriasis, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When...
|
Aromatherapy
The gentle oil German chamomile is great for soothing inflamed, sensitive skin, says Fair Oaks, California, aromatherapist Victoria Edwards. She recommends a ten-minute soak in warm (not hot) water spiked with five drops of German chamomile. After the bath, says Edwards, apply a nourishing oil made from one drop of German chamomile per one ounce of carrier oil. (Carrier oils are available in most health food stores.)
For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.
Food Therapy
Salmon, mackerel and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids have long been touted as a way to help ease psoriasis. But if you prefer your main course to be a land animal, take another look at turkey. “In one study, people who ate a lot of turkey showed marked improvement, but the researchers weren’t sure whether it was something in the turkey itself or the fact that people were forgoing other meats that are higher in saturated fat,” says registered pharmacist Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., author of Earl Mindell’s Food as Medicine and other books on nutrition and professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles.
Dr. Mindell adds that celery, parsley, lettuce, limes and lemons may also help you rid your skin of those nasty blotches, since these foods contain psoralens, compounds that make the skin more sensitive to light (and, as a result, can reduce psoriasis lesions). In fact, synthetic psoralens, which can be applied on the skin or taken orally, are often used to treat psoriasis.
Homeopathy
Psoriasis should be treated on an individual basis by a medical doctor or homeopath. But while waiting for professional care, you can try one of the following 6C remedies four times daily for up to 14 days, writes Andrew Lockie, M.D., in The Family Guide to Homeopathy.
For psoriasis that is aggravated by cold and is worse in the winter, try Petroleum, according to Dr. Lockie. If you have patches of extremely scaly skin that are worsened by heat, he recommends Kali arsenicosum. Graphites will help, he says, if the skin behind your ears is affected and secretes honey-colored pus. If you feel chilly and mentally restless but physically exhausted and your psoriasis feels burning hot, he says to try Arsenicum.
A 30C dose of Sulphur taken orally four times a day for up to 14 days may soothe your symptoms if you often feel overheated and you have dry, scaly, itchy patches of skin that are worse after bathing, says Dr. Lockie.
All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.
Hydrotherapy
A warm bath with salt may benefit psoriasis, according to Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama. Use a pound or more of table salt, mineral salts or sea salts (available in most health food stores) per tub of warm water. Dr. Thrash suggests keeping the bath brief—10 to 30 minutes—and always finishing with a short cold shower. Use this treatment once or twice a day for a month, she adds.
Imagery
Close your eyes, breathe out three times and see, sense and feel yourself naked, suggests New York City psychiatrist Gerald Epstein, M.D., in his book Healing Visualizations. Now imagine you are sitting at the North Pole with a golden ice pick. Take the ice pick and remove all of the white scales on your body until you see healthy skin. After you have done that, dive into the cold Arctic water, washing your skin thoroughly. When you emerge from the water, picture an icy film of Arctic water covering your entire body. Scoop a glob of golden whale oil from a jar and smear it all over your ice-coated body. Put on a royal purple robe and see yourself as a healthy person free of scales.
Dr. Epstein says to practice this imagery for three minutes a day for 21 days, then take 7 days off. Repeat for one to two minutes a day for another 21 days, followed by another 7 days off. Then do it for up to one minute a day for 21 days. If there is no improvement at that point, consult your doctor.
Juice Therapy
“Many people with psoriasis have congestion in the bowels and liver,” says Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and co-author of Juicing for Life. “A high-fiber diet will absorb toxins in the gut, and beet juice is wonderful to help detoxify the liver.” Because beets have a strong flavor, she suggests blending beet juice with carrot juice and lemon. “One beet to four carrots (add one-fourth of a lemon to improve the flavor) is an ideal proportion,” according to Calbom. She recommends drinking one glass of the juice every day.
For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.
Reflexology
Work the kidney points on the bottoms of both feet, say Kevin and Barbara Kunz, reflexology researchers in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and authors of Hand and Foot Reflexology. They also suggest working these points on your hands: kidney, brain, uterus/prostate, ovary/testicle, pancreas and pituitary and thyroid gland.
To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
“Take one teaspoon of flaxseed oil each day, along with 400 international units of vitamin A and a zinc supplement ranging from 15 to 30 milligrams,” says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. Flaxseed oil has been shown to improve a number of skin conditions, including psoriasis, according to Dr. Klaper. Flaxseed oil is available in liquid and capsule form in most health food stores. If you choose the capsules, Dr. Klaper says to follow the dosage recommendations on the label (generally, about three capsules equals one teaspoon of the liquid).
Yoga
Psoriasis can worsen during periods of stress, says Stephen A. Nezezon, M.D., yoga teacher and staff physician at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. To lower stress, Dr. Nezezon recommends a daily routine of breathing exercises, meditation and yoga poses.
Do the complete breath exercise (see page 152) whenever you’re feeling stressed out, suggests Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. Meditation (see page 153) helps clear your mind and teaches you to relax at will, she says. And for the poses, choose three or four from the Daily Routine, which begins on page 606. Christensen suggests varying the poses daily to keep your interest high and to strengthen different parts of your body. Dr. Nezezon says you should include at least one relaxation pose, such as the corpse (page 612), knee squeeze (page 612) or baby (page 618), in your daily yoga routine.
See also Dermatitis and Eczema