Psoriasis

What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes red, scaly, itchy patches on the skin. These patches most commonly happen on the scalp, trunk, knees, and elbows, but any part of the body can be affected. Psoriasis currently doesn’t have a cure, but it tends to go through cycles of severity, where it will flare up for a few weeks to a few months, and then subside again for a while. Psoriasis affects around 2-4% of the population. It can start at any age, including childhood but there are peaks of onset at 15-25 years old, and 50-60 years old. It is more common in Caucasian people, but can affect people of any race.

What Are The Symptoms Of Psoriasis?

Psoriasis symptoms can differ from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms of psoriasis are:

♦ Red patches on the skin that are covered with thick, silvery scales. These tend to be symmetrically distributed, and have well defined edges.
♦ Small scaling spots (most commonly seen in children).
♦ Dry, cracked skin. This may sometimes itch or bleed.
♦ Itching, pain, or burning sensations.
♦ Thickened, pitted, or ridged nails.
♦ Swollen and/or stiff joints.
♦ Brown or pale marks when psoriatic plaques clear up.

What Causes Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is thought to be an issue with the immune system, that causes skin to regenerate faster than the normal rate. This rapid turnover of cells results in the scaly red patches. It is unknown exactly what causes psoriasis to occur, but it is believed that both genetics and environmental factors contribute to the development of psoriasis. Psoriasis tends to run in families. If you have one or both parents with psoriasis, this greatly increases your risk of developing the condition. Psoriasis is not a contagious condition. There are certain things that can trigger psoriasis in people, these include:

♦ An infection, such as strep throat or a skin infection.
♦ Weather, especially when it is cold and dry.
♦ An injury to the skin. This could include a cut, scrape, bug bite, or severe sunburn.
♦ Stress, as high stress levels can impact the immune system.
♦ Smoking, or exposure to second hand smoke. Not only can this increase your risk of psoriasis, but it can also increase the severity of the condition.
♦ Heavy alcohol consumption.
♦ Certain medications, this could include lithium, blood pressure medications, or anti malarial medications.
♦ Rapid withdrawal from corticosteroids.

How Can Chiropractic Help With Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a condition caused by the immune system not functioning like it is supposed to, and the immune system is controlled by the nervous system. If your nervous system is not functioning at its best, it can affect the way the immune system is working, and worsen any conditions that are due to the immune system not functioning correctly.

The nervous system runs directly through the spine, so when areas of the spine become misaligned and stop moving the way the are supposed to, this can cause interference to the nervous system and its function. The nervous system controls every little thing in your body, so if your nervous system isn’t functioning at its best, than neither is the rest of your body, and this includes your immune system.

Chiropractors are able to locate the areas of the spine that have become misaligned, and perform a chiropractic adjustment to them. This restores the normal motion to the spine, which then removes any interference that this was causing to the nervous system. This allows your nervous system to be able to function more effectively, which in turn will help your immune system function better. While this isn’t going to be a cure for psoriasis, having a better functioning immune system is going to better help your body deal with the psoriasis, and may help to lessen the severity of the condition.

Chiropractic can also be helpful when it comes to psoriatic arthritis. Chiropractors can help get all of your joints moving properly, and this can help with the pain, swelling, and stiffness than can be associated with psoriatic arthritis. Chiropractic is a safe, natural, drug free way of looking after your body and your health, and may be a helpful tool in managing your psoriasis.