DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Psoriasis can be a difficult condition to treat. The traditional Chinese medical view is that psoriasis is caused internal heat:

” Da Peng Zhang is Doctor of Chinese Medicine based at ShiZhen Clinic, Old Trafford

Q: How would Chinese medicine treat psoriasis?

Zhang says: In traditional Chinese Medicine theory, psoriasis is considered to be caused by certain internal states characterised as, wind-heat, damp-heat, blood-heat and excessive damp caused by spleen deficiency. These days the most common forms of psoriasis tend to be those identified as being caused by heat, where the symptoms are inflamed dry and itchy skin and feeling of thirst.

Temperatures are slightly higher compared to years ago. This change can be seen over a long period of time in the field of TCM, where, for example, 1000 years ago, records indicated a prescription of warm herbs whereas now we are using far more cooling herbs. There are a range of explanations why this might be so.

First, there are environmental problems where high levels of industrialisation have increased atmospheric temperature. Secondly, the advent of central heating and better insulated homes and work places also increases the temperature of our living environment. Thirdly, dietary changes towards high energy ‘hot’ foods and smoking also increase our body temperature.

Fourthly, the stress of modern life can generate more heat. All these reasons can combine to create excessive blood heat which ’steams’ the skin and can cause psoriasis. Recent climatic changes towards damper conditions and less sunshine may invite fungal infection which can also be a cause of psoriasis.

If the psoriasis is of the heat type, we usually use Chinese herbs which are cool in nature and thus clear the blood heat causing toxins. Sometimes, if necessary, we can also combine these with herbs that eradicate fungal infection. The herbs often have a bitter taste but have a better result, typically an improvement in the patient’s condition after one or two weeks, irrespective of the severity of presenting complaint. Another important treatment is acupuncture. By using fine needles to insert acu-points, to detoxify the body heat, release the stress and rebalance the energy level.”

Tags: Herbs //