Psoriasis treatment: Are homeopathic remedies effective?

Psoriasis is a common skin disease that can affect people of all ages. According to World Health Organization, the reported prevalence of this disease ranges between 0.09 and 11.43 percent. This makes it a serious health problem with at least 100 million people affected across the globe. Apart from the medicines prescribed by the doctor, some people even use home remedies to improve psoriasis symptoms. So, how about trying homeopathic remedies for psoriasis? On the occasion of Psoriasis Awareness Month, we tell you if homeopathy can be used to treat psoriasis.

What is psoriasis?

You will know you have psoriasis if dry, scaly, crusty pink coloured crusty lesions appear on your skin. Dr Renu Paul, Senior Consultant – Homoeopathy, Accord Superspeciality Hospital, Faridabad, tells Health Shots, that it is considered an autoimmune disease which starts attacking your own tissues of the body. The areas around your knees, elbow and scalp that get affected. Like any autoimmune disease, it flares at times for weeks and months together and then subsides on its own. Its symptoms are patchy rashes, rashes with different colours like shades of purple with gray scale or pink or red with silver scale, and highly dry skin which can crack and bleed.

Homeopathic remedies for psoriasis

In 2018, a study involving 70 patients was done to find out if homeopathy helped to treat psoriasis. The study published by the International Journal of Homeopathic Sciences found that homeopathy can be used for psoriasis treatment. Another study published by the Complementary Medicine Research in June 2023, also showed that homeopathic medicines were more effective than placebos when it came to treatment of psoriasis. For that study, researchers did a six-month randomized trial at the National Institute of Homoeopathy in India, involving 51 people with psoriasis. Dr Paul has no doubts about homeopathy being effective, but says not to use them without consulting a homeopathic doctor. Here are some remedies:

1. Graphites

It is used for people with leathery, cracked skin that has sticky discharge or blood coming out.

2. Mezereum

It is used when there is thick and crusty plaques under the scab on the skin, says the expert.

3. Arsenic Iodatum

There are times when the skin gets covered with inflamed patches. There are also scales on them. There is unbearable itching in the patches too and the shedding of the scales leaves behind raw skin. That’s when arsenic Iodatum can help.

4. Sulphur

It helps when there is severe itching and burning in the psoriatic skin lesions. It gets so itchy that you keep scratching your skin until it bleeds.

5. Petroleum

When deep cracks bleed and there is burning, intolerable itching, painful and hard fissures, crawling sensation on the affected skin, you can use petroleum.

Psoriasis is linked to stress too, so you can practice yoga to reduce stress levels as stress can aggravate your skin issues. Also, do not scratch the affected area and keep your nails short.

Homoeopathic medicines have shown good results in psoriasis, says the expert. As far as how long it will take for the treatment to work, it depends on the severity of the symptoms and duration of the disease. But if you are using one treatment methodology then don’t mix and match. Following one treatment option is always better. So, if you have any other health issues like diabetes with psoriasis, share this information with your homeopathy doctor.