Natural Psoriasis Treatment
Settling your psoriasis with a naturopathic approach
Because it is an autoimmune condition, approaching natural psoriasis treatment involves a holistic approach – reducing inflammation, healing the gut and settling the immune system.
The most common type of psoriasis presents as patches or “plaques” which present on elbows and knees, and other areas of the body. However, there are different subtypes of psoriasis, including guttate psoriasis and planto-palmar psoriasis.
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an auto immune condition that presents on the skin as thickened, silvery, scaly and often flaky lesions. It can be frustrating, impact your self-esteem and quality of life.
Commonly, people suffering from psoriasis resort to conventional medical options. These rely on immuno-suppressive topical treaments or in serious cases, immuno-suppressive oral or injectable medication to restrict the immune system. These can be helpful, but your body can become dependent on them or you may experience side effects.
Our naturopathic doctor, Dr.Makoto Trotter ND, is experienced with natural psoriasis treatment with safe and effective approaches. If you are seeking an alternative to pharmaceutical options, we can help you.
What causes psoriasis?
Psoriasis, being an autoimmune condition, often has a genetic component. You may have other family members who suffer from other autoimmune conditions or psoriasis.
In psoriasis, the immune system triggers the skin to replicate too quickly, creating the thickened appearance of the lesions.
There is also evidence to suggest that a contributing factor may be gut hyperpermeability or “leaky gut syndrome.” This is essentially a state whereby the lining of the intestines (at a microscopic level) allows larger particles into the blood than would occur in a healthy gut. These particles could be food, bacteria, viruses or fungi.
Leaky gut syndrome has been associated with various autoimmune conditions, being viewed as a potential mechanism that activates an abnormally functioning immune system. If you are interested a more detailed description of leaky gut syndrome and how to treat it naturally, take a look at Dr. Makoto’s book, The Complete Leaky Gut Health & Diet Guide.
Really, the triggers for psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders are likely numerous and may vary from patient to patient. We can help you to investigate potential aggravating factors in your diet and lifestyle. Using this information, can guide our natural psoriasis approach to improve your skin health.
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition with the same root-cause drivers as many other autoimmune diseases – gut health, systemic inflammation, and immune dysregulation. Learn more about naturopathic autoimmune support.
How is psoriasis addressed conventionally?
Conventional options involves topical prescription creams, that are anti-inflammatory. You may be prescribed topical corticosteroids, or vitamin A or D derivatives. Coal tar may also be used for milder forms of psoriasis.
For severe psoriasis, prescription oral or injection immunosuppressants may be recommended to you. These may be effective at controlling psoriasis, but also come with side effects, particularly since they are dampening your natural immune response.
Can you help recommend appropriate skincare?
Dr.Makoto is well-versed in understanding and recommending appropriate skincare for your particular needs.
He prefers to recommend products that are helpful for hydrating your skin barrier and are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Additionnally, he will recommend products that are natural and use clean ingredients to keep your long-term internal health in mind.
How does a naturopathic doctor support patients with psoriasis?
Naturopathic doctors assess and treat the whole body in order to improve the skin. This is a natural and gentle approach to improving psoriasis. Our skin is the external envelope of our body and reflects what is happening internally.
With psoriasis, it is imperative to address your digestive health, immunity and stress management. From a leaky gut syndrome perspective, your diet and potential food sensitivities are important to address. We offer food sensitivity testing to determine if you have dietary triggers that can be affecting your immune system. Our naturopathic doctor will coach you with a proper anti-inflammatory diet to support your skin.
Having additional information through testing helps to direct the course of a natural approach for psoriasis. You may be extremely frustrated with the stubbornness of your skin. Natural psoriasis treatment involves healing from the inside out.
Skin conditions often are linked to digestive or homonal concerns. View our full list of digestive and hormonal conditions treated to explore related issues.
Get to the Underlying Causes of your Psoriasis
If you’re struggling with chronic persistent psoriasis, seek out a personalized assessment plan to help identify what’s driving your symptoms.