How Reflexology and Acupuncture can support people with psoriasis

The first precise medical description of psoriasis was made in 1801, even though the condition had been known to exist much earlier.

Around seven million Americans live with psoriasis, often struggling with persistent itching and scaling, and in many cases, complications that extend beyond the skin to other organs. While traditionally described as a skin disorder, psoriasis does not begin in the skin; its underlying causes and effects are much deeper.

Fundamentally, psoriasis is an immune system disorder — a common, long-lasting inflammatory condition of the skin that can affect men and women alike, at any stage of life.

The development of psoriasis is often linked to a genetic tendency, together with various triggers that can bring on or worsen the condition, such as:

• Infections
• Skin injuries
• Stress
• Medications

In its typical presentation, psoriasis is characterized by itching and dry, reddish plaques with scaling, most commonly found on the elbows, knees, and scalp.

T-helper lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, become overactive and release large amounts of cytokines — including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-2, and interferon-gamma. This overproduction leads to inflammation of the skin and can also affect other organs.
In the skin, this inflammatory process leads to three main changes: enlarged blood vessels, a buildup of white blood cells, and an abnormally fast growth of keratinocytes — the primary cells of the skin’s outer layer.

In healthy skin, keratinocytes take about a month to divide, mature, and migrate to the surface, where they are naturally shed to make room for new cells. In psoriasis, however, this process is accelerated to just three to five days, resulting in red, inflamed skin covered with silvery scales — immature cells that surfaced too early.

Psoriasis has been linked to psychological stress, obesity, smoking, alcohol use, streptococcal throat infections, viral illnesses, insufficient sunlight exposure, and certain medications.

any patients with psoriasis also present with metabolic syndrome (*), are smokers, have low levels of vitamin D, and tend to consume higher amounts of alcohol.

Reflexology, combined with auriculotherapy and/or acupuncture, helps reduce stress, restore balance to the body, and promote self-healing.

* Difficulty in metabolizing sugar and foods that are easily converted into sugar within the body, such as sweets, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, alcohol, sugary drinks, and cookies.

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