Functional Medicine for Psoriasis
If you have psoriasis, you’re not alone. About five million adults in the U.S. suffer from this disease. Psoriasis is a condition of the immune system that can range from mild to severe. This illness is chronic, but Aligned Modern Health practitioners can use functional medicine to successfully treat the underlying environmental causes of psoriasis.
Symptoms of Psoriasis
When you have psoriasis, your immune system is working overtime. This causes the development of new skin cells in days instead of weeks. Your body can’t shed skin that fast, so old, dead cells pile up on the surface of the skin and cause red, itchy patches covered with silvery scales. Known as plaques, these patches feel sore or itch. They can occur anywhere on your body but often are located on the legs, elbows, scalp, palms, lower back, face, and soles of the feet. Sometimes the affected skin around joints starts to crack.
However, psoriasis isn’t just a skin disease. This illness is also associated with other serious health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, Crohn’s disease, and depression.
Causes
Psoriasis is due to factors including:
- Genetics—If you have psoriasis, chances are someone in your family has it, too. One out of three people with psoriasis reports having a relative with the condition.
- Environment—Some environmental triggers of psoriasis symptoms include stress, diet, injuries to the skin, infections, and certain medications.
Treatment
Your doctor might prescribe immune-suppressing drugs or steroids, but these expensive, invasive therapies only treat the symptoms of psoriasis and ignore the underlying causes. However, there is a natural solution; the experts at Aligned Modern Health can treat you with functional medicine.
Functional medicine focuses on the causes of health conditions instead of just treating the symptoms. These methods are based on the way our genes respond to the environment. When you consult with functional medicine practitioners at Aligned Modern Health, they will ask about your diet and health history to create a personalized regimen to restore your body’s natural balance. They will check for potential causes of psoriasis including:
- Sensitivity to gluten
- Too much yeast in the gut
- Exposure to heavy metals
After discovering the causes of your psoriasis, the practitioners may eliminate certain foods from your diet such as gluten and dairy. They will recommend natural supplements, which may include fish oil, probiotics, and Vitamin D. Stress can play a part in psoriasis flare-ups, so your practitioner may suggest relaxation techniques such as yoga, biofeedback, and massage.
Aligned Modern Health can ensure long-lasting, positive solutions for your psoriasis. With the functional medicine approach, you’ll heal from the inside out. Fill out the form below to schedule an appointment.