My brother has psoriasis. It is on his stomach, upper arm, thigh, and back area.
Recently, I took him to a doctor I met, who practices a native kind of healing system, hilot, going through a resurgence now. There is not much text about it, but every barrio here traditionally had its own healer. This doctor has been teaching a group of doctors from the Mayo clinic about a combination of massage and herbs for chronic illnesses which do not seem to respond very well to treatment. He is a medical doctor as well as been practicing hilot for the past 40 years.
One alarming thing he told us was that about 85% of his psoriasis patients are from the US and come here hearing about the treatment, or have just relocated here. They are not particularly Caucasian, many relocated to the US years ago. This particularly caught my attention because my brother got psoriasis during a 2005 trip to the US. This is why we have always thought it to be diet-related, because he was eating all sorts of stuff there-- candy weighed out from bins, "astronaut food" and a lot of fast food, which we are unaccustomed to.
Diagnosis Process and An Attempt to Translate
I'm not sure if I can explain this well in English, but he told me that most psoriasis patients have some trouble with the kidney. The diagnosis might not sit well with those used to more conventional medicine. It is a combination of touch, pulse, skin color, eye examination, and more. He made my brother undress and passed his hand over my brother's back, and pressed on spots that have been aching on my brother's body constantly these past months. The best way I can explain tough diagnosis is being able to perceive the more subtle energies of the body.
This might not be the most accurate English, but a simple explanation was put forth-- that excess sugar, undigested food, etc. had become a slimy mucus (much like the ama substance described in ayurveda). While initially you can feel it in your mouth, his were eventually absorbed and made their way into the kidney, where they have hardened and created difficulty in organ function and also created an environment for infections. This has affected the ability of the skin to excrete waste material, as well as had an effect on the digestion.
A special oil was blended with local essential oils, as well as a berry in the nearby mountain, to apply to the area, and massage (much more "rough" than the normal) was prescribed twice a week. The areas affected are not to be covered with scales-- they should be removed and always have herbal oil on them.
He was also instructed to drink at least 1.5 liters of lemongrass tea daily to cleanse the blood as well-- this we grow or buy very cheap at the local market. At least until his symptoms go away, he has been given a blend of herbs to regulate his digestion.
About two weeks into the treatment, the massage at the center was getting a bit expensive and time-consuming, so they taught us how to do it at home.
Progress
There are two treatments that have worked to almost eliminate his psoriasis in the past-- a completely raw food diet (which he was unable to maintain), and ayurvedic treatment (which became too expensive and time-consuming as herbs were from India and the doctor had no appointment procedure). After about three weeks, there has been amazing progress in my brother's condition. This one is working far faster than either treatments-- his lesions are flattening out very fast! He no longer feels sluggish as well, and his chronic headaches have gone away.
The doctor said psoriasis was a fairly easy case to treat but might take some time. We are happy that it is happening at the present rate. The framework seems pretty similar to ayurveda. It is also the only "alternative" treatment that promised no flare-ups before it will start to get better, and we know experience this to be true.
My brother has been through everything costing hundreds of thousands over the years-- UV radiation, conventional meds (including prednisone!) every treatment under the sun (including completely ineffective ones like magnetic therapy and goji juice bombardment). Everything has been really really costly and promising relief. But this time, the herbs used are all local, so this makes it very cheap!
Now...
I would like insight and questions from people about the doctor's explanation of psoriasis. I know the "divide" between the explanations of East/West are pretty apparent on this board, as are our ways of understanding the body. I've heard many explanations from past doctors of what the symptoms of psoriasis are (e.g. excess skin production, etc.), but everything said by my bros' other doctors (aside from the ayurvedic one) points to stress or say that the reasons are unknown.
Any doctors willing to comment on the explanation? Contradictions or ideas on how it harmonizes with Western systems, using different terminology?
And also, if you have psoriasis and don't want to post about it here, you can PM me for details of the treatment, I can tell you what I know.
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