While the thought of purposely sticking needles into your body may be too much for some to bare, health experts often recommend acupuncture as an alternative treatment for psoriasis and eczema sufferers. While this treatment is not for everybody (especially those who are faint at heart), many sufferers believe that acupuncture has a powerful effect on their symptoms.

Modern research suggests that acupuncture may ease the pain of skin sufferers by altering signals among nerve cells or affecting the release of various chemicals of the central nervous system. Some research on the effects of acupuncture (as an alternative treatment) on psoriasis and eczema has been conducted, and the results are encouraging.

Eczema and Acupuncture

As reported in Reuters Health in 2009, German researchers studied the short-term effects of acupuncture on inflammation and itching in 30 atopic eczema sufferers. They found thatacupuncture therapy, done within minutes after the sufferers’ skin was exposed to allergens (either pollen or dust mites), soothed the sufferers’ feeling of itchiness. Moreover, when the same sufferers were exposed to the allergens for a second time shortly after the acupuncture therapy, the sufferers reported a “less-severe skin reaction.” The lead researcher, Dr. Florian Pfab, of the Technical University of Munich, noted, however, that the findings were made in an “experimental setting,” and it was unclear what the benefits would be in a real-world setting.

Read more about the study here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580953,00.html.

Psoriasis and Acupuncture

A study published in the Acupuncture and Electro-Therapeutics Research back in 1992 concluded that “acupuncture is an effective therapeutic modality for psoriasis, particularly when the western medical management is unsuccessful.” In that study, researchers treated 61 psoriasis sufferers who had failed to respond to “conventional western medical management” with acupuncture.

After regular acupuncture treatment, 30 of the 61 sufferers reported complete or almost complete clearing of their skin lesions. 14 of the 61 sufferers reported clearance of two-thirds of their skin lesions. 8 of the 61 sufferers reported clearance of one-third of their skin lesions. Finally, 9 of the sufferers reported minimal or no clearance of their skin lesions.

Read more about this study here: http://www.acupuncture.com/research/psoriasis.htm.

A word of caution: Acupuncture is certainly not for everyone. We suggest consulting a physician before trying acupuncture and, if you determine acupuncture is worth a try, finding a qualified, experienced acupuncturist who is very familiar with your skin condition before proceeding.

So tell us, have you ever tried acupuncture and did you see any improvement in your skin?