Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Healing Psoriasis Through the Power of the Mind

There is no doubt that the mind is a very powerful aid in healing, and scientific evidence supports the fact that stress can trigger, as well as make psoriasis worse in some people. Meditation and relaxation and related practices that reduce stress are often beneficial to people with psoriasis.
Hypnosis has been referred to in several scientific studies as aiding in the clearing of psoriasis. These it has been found to double the rate of clearance that UV light therapy alone (another useful psoriasis treatment.) Both on its own and as a supplement to other psoriasis treatment, it has been cited as being helpful in clearing psoriasis in several published case reports. One study examined the use of meditation and guided imagery in patients undergoing ultraviolet light (UV) treatments. Patients who relaxed during the treatments cleared faster; in some cases, twice as fast as patients who had the light therapy alone.
When used practiced in conjunction with other alternative treatments and traditional medical treatments, stress management, mental relaxation, or any means of giving patients a feeling of control over the negative mental aspects associated with psoriasis is helpful.