What is Functional Medicine for Psoriasis?
Functional medicine for psoriasis is a root-cause approach. As a system, using functional medicine for psoriasis takes a holistic approach that is referred to as a “systems biology approach” with the goal of identifying and addressing the underlying causes of the disease process.
Functional medicine doctors consider each person's unique genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors in developing an individualized plan with the goal of decreasing the immune system attack against the skin, which causes psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the skin, causing red, scaly patches and itching. While traditional treatments such as topical creams and medication may provide temporary relief, they do not address the underlying causes of the disease.
Functional medicine for psoriasis is the ideal way to approach treating psoriasis because it is focused on identifying and addressing the condition's root causes. This article will discuss how functional medicine for psoriasis can help treat psoriasis and why it is a viable treatment option for those suffering from this condition.
Benefits of Choosing a Functional Medicine Doctor for Psoriasis
If you're living with psoriasis, you know how challenging it can be to find a treatment that truly works.
Conventional medications and creams can be effective in the short term, but they often come with side effects and can lose their effectiveness over time. That's why it's important to consider working with a functional medicine doctor for psoriasis.
Functional medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on finding the root cause of a health condition rather than just treating the symptoms.
This is particularly beneficial for conditions like psoriasis, which have multiple underlying causes and which can be influenced by factors such as diet, stress, and environmental exposures.
Four Reasons Why a Functional Medicine Doctor for Psoriasis is a Good Choice:
- 1They take a comprehensive approach. A functional medicine doctor will look at all aspects of your health, including your diet, lifestyle, and environmental exposures, to determine the underlying causes of your psoriasis. This is a much more thorough approach than simply prescribing a medication to treat the symptoms.
- 2They offer personalized treatment plans. Because functional medicine doctors take the time to understand the unique aspects of your health and your particular case of psoriasis, they can create a treatment plan that is tailored specifically to your needs. This can be much more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.
- 3They consider the long-term. While medications can be effective in the short-term, they often come with side effects and can lose their effectiveness over time. A functional medicine doctor will take a long-term view and work with you to address the underlying causes of your psoriasis, which can lead to more sustainable results.
- 4They can help with other health issues. If you have other health issues in addition to your psoriasis, a functional medicine doctor can help you address these as well. This comprehensive approach can lead to improved overall health and well-being.
Using a functional medicine doctor for psoriasis makes sense.
In our office, we require our clients also to have a primary care physician to help support them from a traditional medical perspective.
Functional medicine for psoriasis is a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on understanding the underlying causes of chronic diseases and treating the whole person rather than just their symptoms.
A functional medicine practitioner will work with you to identify the root causes of your psoriasis and develop a customized treatment plan that addresses those causes.
This approach often involves traditional and specialty laboratory testing, sometimes called “functional medicine tests,” and then uses the information from the tests to determine the unique lifestyle, dietary, and nutritional supplementation to address the root cause of psoriasis.
When you think about it, do you only want to improve the symptoms of psoriasis, or would you like to improve the symptoms of psoriasis by addressing the underlying immune system dysfunction so that you not only improve the symptoms of psoriasis but also improve the root case?
Using a functional medicine doctor for psoriasis as part of your healthcare team is a better approach to give you the best chance at putting psoriasis into remission.
What is the Focus of Psoriasis Treatment with Functional Medicine?
Psoriasis Treatment with Functional Medicine is focused on trying to identify your unique immune triggers and reasons for immune system dysfunction, then formulating a plan to detect the triggers, remove them, then repair damage to the barrier systems and optimize immune and system-wide physiology.
Three key areas of psoriasis treatment with functional medicine usually include investigating environmental and immune system triggers through immunological testing of foods, pathogens, and chemicals.
Testing the barriers of the immune system (intestinal barrier, blood-brain barrier, lung barrier) to determine if they are compromised. Your barrier systems must be healthy, or your immune system will be bombarded with antigens (immune triggers) from the environment, like food proteins, bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens, and chemicals that will continue to activate the immune system.
And last, test your foundational physiological biomarkers (inflammation, red blood cell health, blood sugar stability, thyroid physiology, vitamin, mineral, and essential fatty acid levels and balance) to see if there is any reason the immune system could be in a state of dysregulation.
Should You Try Functional Medicine for Severe Psoriasis?
Functional medicine for severe psoriasis uses the same approach as it would for milder forms. Functional medicine for severe psoriasis is based on the same concept that psoriasis results from multiple factors, including genetics, environment, and lifestyle.
Psoriasis is caused by the immune system reacting to the skin, and the approach is the same whether the condition is severe or mild. The approach is to detect the triggers, try to remove them, work on repairing the damage to the system and optimize health.
A functional medicine practitioner can create a personalized treatment plan that addresses the underlying causes of psoriasis by considering the individual's history, symptoms, diet, and lifestyle habits.
For example, an approach to functional medicine for severe psoriasis, or even mild forms of psoriasis, typically includes dietary changes, such as eliminating processed foods, increasing the intake of anti-inflammatory foods, and removing lectins to help reduce inflammation in the body.
Functional medicine for psoriasis will also include temporary use of nutritional supplements and herbs to address specific nutrient deficiencies or imbalances contributing to psoriasis. Functional medicine practitioners also believe in addressing emotional and mental health when treating psoriasis, often recommending stress management techniques, such as yoga, meditation, or therapy, to help reduce stress levels. It’s all individualized, so it depends on your unique set of circumstances and needs.
Is Functional Medicine a Viable Psoriasis Treatment Option?
Psoriasis is a complex disease that can be difficult to treat. Traditional treatments, such as topical creams and medication, may provide temporary relief, but they do not address the underlying causes of the disease. Functional medicine offers a holistic approach to treating psoriasis by managing the condition's underlying causes, which can help reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent flare-ups. Additionally, functional medicine practitioners consider the individual's overall health and well-being rather than just treating the symptoms of psoriasis. This can provide physical relief and emotional support to help manage this chronic condition.
Another important aspect is that a functional medicine practitioner will closely monitor and adjust the treatment plan as needed. This is crucial for ensuring that the treatment is effective and tailored to the individual's needs.
In conclusion, functional medicine offers a holistic approach to treating psoriasis by identifying and addressing the condition's underlying causes. It is a viable treatment option for psoriasis because it considers the individual's overall health and well-being and provides personalized and effective treatment options that can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. If you are living with psoriasis and looking for a more holistic approach to treatment, consider seeking a functional medicine practitioner with experience treating psoriasis.
Dr. Shook works with clients across the US via telemedicine to help people with psoriasis get testing to help identify many of the triggers that may activate the immune system and drive their symptoms. To learn more about working with Dr. Shook, please visit the application for care page here: https://drbradshook.com/new-patient-center-2/
About the Author:
Dr. Shook has psoriasis, thyroid antibodies, and has trained extensively in functional medicine, epigenetics, and human performance optimization. DrBradShook.com is a resource to help people with Psoriasis, Hashimoto's disease, and other autoimmune conditions learn more about how they can complement their current medical care and support their thyroid and autoimmunity naturally.
