Top Alternative Therapies For The Treatment of Psoriasis

Many psoriasis sufferers use various drug therapies for the treatment of the symptoms of psoriasis with varying degrees of success making it necessary to look for treatment alternatives including the use of home remedies for psoriasis. Many sufferers usually have to use a combination of various treatment methods in order to obtain relief from this chronic skin condition. Listed below are the top alternative therapies for the treatment of psoriasis.

Use Of Herbs

Many home remedies for psoriasis use various herbs to treat the symptoms of psoriasis. The use of herbs is probably one of the oldest forms of medicine dating back many centuries. In China for instance, the use of herbs is just as popular if not more so than conventional treatment methods.

Usually the herbal treatment is tailor made for each patient which makes sense especially for psoriasis patients for whom treatment usually varies from one patient to another because there isn't a psoriasis cure at the present time and what works for one sufferer may not work for another.

Herbs are also popular with psoriasis sufferers because they are usually much cheaper than prescription medications and other medications. The use of herbs is also very popular because the herbal industry usually emphasizes going beyond the treatment of the symptoms and seeks to deal with the root cause. 

Common herbs that are used to treat skin conditions including psoriasis that can be implemented in various home remedies for psoriasis include, aloe, witch hazel, milk thistle extract also known as silymarin and capsaicin (obtained from hot peppers).

Before implementing herbal treatments, it is important to use caution and discuss the use of this alternative treatment with your doctor. Some herbs may cause an allergic reaction, increase the risk of liver damage, etc, so you need to be cautious. You can also obtain information on various herbs by contacting various institutions such as the American Holistic Medical Association.

Use of Holistic Medicine

Used for many centuries by Hindus and Greeks, this approach seeks to not only address the physical manifestations of disease but also seeks to address the patient as a whole and his or her physical, emotional and spiritual needs using powers of natural therapy. Holistic medicine relies on the patient being able to heal him or herself by healing the mind and body in order to restore balance and harmony thereby eradicating all disease sine the environment in the body will no longer be conducive for the development of sickness and disease.

Use of Acupuncture

This is an ancient Chinese practice that views the body as a system of energy pathways and treatment usually involves determining where the discrepancy is located in these energy pathways as well as where energy is blocked and fixing it using various needles at inserted into the areas where the blockages are located.

Acupuncture with psoriasis sufferers is usually used in combination with herbal treatments. Acupuncture is especially beneficial for patients that suffer from psoriatic arthritis and can help to alleviate the joint pain associated with this condition.

Use of Homeopathy

This treatment therapy was started over two centuries ago by a German pharmacist and physician named Samuel Hahnemann. Homeopathy is used with the goal of being able to stimulate the body's defenses against sickness and disease. This is accomplished by administering small doses of certain substances that are like the disease such as gold, sulphur, copper, etc.

When using homeopathy, patients are usually advised against taking other strong medications such as prescription medications. How and why this therapy works remains unknown. It simply follows a philosophy of like cures like.

Before being given a dosage, the patient will usually be asked many questions such as their lifestyle, needs, feelings, etc. This treatment method is usually slower and also tailored to each patient's individual needs. While on this therapy, some psoriasis patients may get worse before seeing any improvements which many practitioners believe means that the treatment is working.

Use of Naturopathy

This form of treatment dates back to Hippocrates (400 B.C) and follows a philosophy that the body can heal itself by following the proper nutrition and right lifestyle and has the belief that toxins are the cause of disease and sickness in the human body.

In order to remove toxins, a patient may be advised to do various things such as consume more water, alter eating habits (follow a psoriasis diet for psoriasis sufferers), reduce or eliminate the consumption of sugar, alcohol and caffeine, quit smoking if a smoker, adopt an exercise regimen, use various supplements, reduce stress using various relaxations techniques, etc. As you can see, the emphasis is on health and not necessarily fighting the various symptoms of the disease.

These are some of the top therapies for the treatment of psoriasis that have been shown to be very effective with many sufferers either used alone or in combination with other treatments including home remedies for psoriasis.