Does Ayurvedic Treatment Work For Psoriasis?

ABSTRACT

Psoriasis is a common dermatologic disease which affects about 1% of the total population both males and females suffering equally. Psoriasis is a skin condition affecting many people worldwide. More than 40 million people are affected by this condition worldwide. People with weakened immune systems are more likely to be affected by Psoriasis. It is a long life disease and also an inflammatory skin disease. Due to the  immune system, skin changes occur in this condition. Psoriasis does not have a permanent cure in modern, but with Ayurveda you can cure Psoriasis permanently. So let’s have a look at Psoriasis.

INTRODUCTION

The word Psoriasis is derived from the greek word “psora” means itching and “sis” means acting condition. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition which causes itchiness, rash and burning sensation. It is a chronic skin condition and in this condition, patches appear on the scalp, elbow, lower back and knees. As, Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder, so in this immune cells attack healthy skin cells and lesions also become less severe in this condition.  It is a long lasting disorder and  is a non contagious skin disorder and very thick and scaly areas appear on the body which are known as plaques. It is a very common condition and due to increased number of skin cells, patches occur in this condition and people with very weak immune systems often suffer a lot. This condition can be very painful and also disturbs our sleep and also runs in families too.  In this condition, the patient not only suffers from physical problems but also suffers from social and mental distress. Psoriasis cannot be permanently cured in modern times but can be treated with some medications Whereas Ayurveda provides a permanent treatment for Psoriasis.

TYPES OF PSORIASIS

1. Plaque Psoriasis: It is the most common form of Psoriasis.  Almost 80% of  people who have been diagnosed with Psoriasis have Plaque Psoriasis. In this, thick red and purplish patches of skin occur. These patches appear usually on the elbow,knees and scalp. Scratching of the scales should be avoided in this condition, if you scratch the scale then the condition will get very worse.
2. Guttate Psoriasis: Guttate Psoriasis appears in small red spots. It is the second most common type of Psoriasis. It usually starts during childhood or at the younger age.In this, spots are usually seen very small.
3. Flexural or Inverse Psoriasis: Flexural or Inverse Psoriasis occurs under the breasts or under the armpits. It also occurs in the groin region.
4. Pustular Psoriasis: Pustular Psoriasis mainly affects your hands and feet. It can be life threatening. This condition can cause symptoms like fever, chills,weakness and loss of appetite.
5. Erythrodermic Psoriasis: This type of Psoriasis is rare. In this, shedding of the skin starts. This form of Psoriasis is with red or purple skin. It can occur from alcohol use disorder, sunburn or by an infection.
6. Psoriatic Arthritis: Psoriatic arthritis is a very painful condition. It affects nearly 30% of people with Psoriasis.
7. Nail Psoriasis: Nail Psoriasis can cause coloured patches or spots under your nails. It is a very common type of Psoriasis.
8. Scalp Psoriasis: Scalp Psoriasis is seen very common in people.Dandruff is the main symptom here. It can be very painful and itchy. Due to excess scratching of the scalp, it causes hair loss and infection on the scalp.

CAUSES

There is no exact cause of Psoriasis in modern science but here are some possible triggering factors of Psoriasis which are as follows

• Weakened immune system
• Previous skin injury
• Certain medications
• Smoking
• Genetics
• Not maintaining hygiene
• Cold Weather
• Vitamin deficiency
• Stress
• Environmental factors

SIGN AND SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of Psoriasis includes

• Scaly patches
• Dry and cracked skin
• Itching
• Burning
• Cracked nails
• Painful scalp
• Disturbed sleep
• Swollen joints
• Stiffness
• Small scaly spots
• Painful lesions
• Rapid heartbeat
• Chills and fever

DIAGNOSIS

Mainly diagnosed by

• Skin biopsy
• Medical history
• Physical examination
• CBC (Complete blood count)

TREATMENT

Here are some medications and ointments used for Psoriasis

• Steroid cream
• Salicylic acid
• Moisturizers
• Anthralin
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin A or retinol creams

AYURVEDIC OVERVIEW ON PSORIASIS

In Ayurveda, Psoriasis is correlated with Kushtha Roga/disease. According to Ayurveda, Vata and Kapha Dosha are vitiated in this disorder. These vitiated doshas in turn vitiate the twak/skin, rakta/blood, mamsa/muscle tissue and ambu/lymph. It arises due to the dushti of these doshas and dushyas. Kushtha is mainly of two types i.e Mahakushtha and Kshudra kushtha. Mahakushtha is of seven types and Kshudra kushtha is of eleven types. Eka kushtha  is mentioned in all Ayurvedic classics under kshudra kushtha and has a predominance of Vata and kapha dosha. Causative factors of kushtha (Psoriasis) are unhealthy diet and lifestyle which causes impaired digestion and aggravation of tridosha, Virodhi anna pana (Intake of wrong food combinations) and snigdha (oily) and guru (heavy foods) can be the main cause.

In this condition, kapha manifests in the skin and causes the accumulation of toxins. Symptoms of vata predominance- bluish, blackish, red colour, dry skin and pain. Symptoms of pitta predominance include burning sensation, redness and discharges. Symptoms of kapha predominance include wetness, thickness, itching and heaviness. In Ayurveda, plant based remedies are used to treat Psoriasis and Panchakarma is the main treatment for people with Psoriasis. It detoxifies the impurities from the body. Dietary changes should be done by the people suffering from Psoriasis. So here are some Home Remedies for Psoriasis according to Ayurveda

• Use garlic paste on affected areas
• Turmeric can also be used to reduce swelling, also it will help to reduce redness on the affected areas
• Try Aloe vera for reducing redness and irritation
• Use apple cider vinegar for scalp itching
• Application of oats paste for dryness and redness of the skin.
• Take warm baths
• Jasmine flower paste to relieve itching and inflammation

TREATMENT

• Gandhak rasayan vati is very effective in kushtha/Psoriasis
• Guduchi, Haritaki, Patola and Shunthi are also very useful
• Panchtikta ghrita can be used
• Guggul and Triphala

Here Are Some Panchakarma Therapies For Kushtha Roga

• Vamana (Induced vomiting)
• Virechan (Induced Purgation)
• Raktamokshan (Blood purification)

Herbal Remedies For Psoriasis By Planet Ayurveda

Planet Ayurveda is a GMP certified company. The products of Planet Ayurveda are made under the guidance of MD Ayurveda and experts. No preservatives are added to their products as their products are made from 100% natural ingredients. Planet Ayurveda provides herbal treatment for Psoriasis which includes a Psora care pack.

1. Navkarshik Churna
2. Gleaming Skin Hair Nail Formula
3. Neem Capsules
4. Manjishtha Capsules
5. Pitta Balance
6. Gandhak Rasayan
7. Jatiyadi Tailam
8. Recumin Gel

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

1. Navkarshik Churna

It is a pure classical Ayurveda formulation of Planet Ayurveda. It helps to remove bad toxins from the body. Ingredients added to this are- Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), Vacha (Acorus calamus), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia), kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) and Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia). All these herbs cleans the microchannels and detoxifies the body thus assists in managing the Psoriasis Condition.

Dosage: 1 tsp twice daily with warm water after meals.

2. Gleaming Skin Hair Nail Formula

These are pure herbal capsules from Planet Ayurveda which is used for maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails and helps in managing pitta dosha along with kapha and vata. Ingredients added to this are- Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia), Pit papada (Fumaria officinalis), Chirata (Swertia chirata) and Ghritkumari (Aloe barbadensis).

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with warm water after meals.

3. Neem Capsules

Neem capsules of Planet Ayurveda are packed with pure Standardised extracts of  best quality herb neem (Azadirachta indica). It is a blood purifier and a traditional Ayurvedic remedy for almost all blood diseases. Neem being an amazing Blood purifier shows amazing effect in managing the Psoriasis condition.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice daily with warm water after meal.

4. Manjishtha Capsules

These are the capsules made from Standardized extract of manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia) which is pure. It is used as a blood purifier as it is helpful in removing bad toxins from the body. The properties of this herb helps to normalize pitta dosha, purify the blood and eliminate the accumulated toxins.

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with warm water after meals.

5. Pitta Balance

Pitta balance capsule preparation from Planet Ayurveda  which alleviates excess of pitta in the body and helps to maintain healthy skin. Ingredients added to this are akik pishti (Agate calcium), praval pishti (Coral calcium), jahar mohra pishti (Serpentine- Magnesium silicate), kamdudha ras (An ayurvedic calcium compound), Mukta pishti (Pearl calcium) and giloy satva (Tinospora cordifolia).

Dosage: 1 capsule twice daily with warm water after meals.

6. Gandhak Rasayan

It is an ayurvedic preparation used especially for skin disorders in Planet Ayurveda. It is made from purified sulphur and other herbs.It detoxifies the circulatory system. It helps in pacifying pitta dosha and also helpful in controlling the over activation of the immune system. Ingredients added to this are- Gandhak (Purified sulphur).

Dosage: 2 tablets twice daily with warm water after a meal.

7. Jatiyadi Tailam

It is a mixture of herbal ingredients by Planet Ayurveda that is very helpful for maintaining healthy skin. It is used for chronic skin disorders to maintain Itching and pain. It helps in reducing the swelling and redness in Psoriasis due to its healing and astringent properties. Ingredients added to this are- Haridra (Curcuma longa), Jati (Jasminum grandiflorum), Nimba (Azadirachta Indica), Patola (Trichosanthes Dioica), Manjistha (Rubia Cordifolia) etc.

Dosage: For external use only.

8. Recumin Gel

It is an Ayurvedic formulation and it has shown very positive results in skin related conditions. It is a 100% natural product of Planet Ayurveda. Ingredients added to this are – Azadirachta Indica, Jasmine officinalis, Commiphora mukul etc etc.

Dosage: For external use only.

CONCLUSION

So, this was all about Psoriasis. In this article I told you about Psoriasis, its types, causes, signs and symptoms, treatment and also about its Ayurvedic overview and its treatment. Psoriasis does not only affect a patient’s social life but also his mental health and it does not have a permanent cure in modern medicine, it can be controlled by some treatments but does not completely go away. But on the other side, if we talk about Ayurveda, Ayurveda provides a complete treatment on Psoriasis and the treatment is permanently curable.