Acupuncture for Eczema: Does It Help?
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that causes dry, itchy, and irritated skin. The most common type of eczema, atopic dermatitis, often occurs with asthma, hay fever, and food allergies.
It also has links to mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety, and depression.
In this article, we will examine whether acupuncture is effective at treating eczema. We will also look at eczema acupuncture pressure points and the associated risks and benefits of acupuncture for eczema.
What causes eczema?
From a Chinese medicine perspective, there are a number of causes of eczema. Illness arises as a result of some kind of imbalance in the body. The main causes of these imbalances are stress, improper diet, toxin buildup, and other lifestyle and emotional factors. From a modern perspective, we also have to consider hormone imbalances and infection.
From a Western biomedical perspective, the cause of eczema is unknown. What scientists believe is happening is the immune system reacts to an irritant, allergen or other offending substance, or even a phantom substance. Once the immune system is activated, it fails to shut off when the substance is removed. The immune system then acts on the body itself, in this case the skin.
Regardless of the cause, I use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to restore the natural balance of the body. My treatments include long-term planning so that you can maintain your symptom relief through diet and lifestyle after you stop seeing me regularly. Most people continue to come for tune-ups now and again because they feel so great after acupuncture treatments. I encourage seasonal (quarterly visits) and during particularly stressful times as most people have flare-ups during these periods.
Eczema acute
The patient’s body surface can be seen as a combination of papules, blisters, pustules, vesicles, and oozing crusts. It starts as dense punctate erythema and corn-sized papules and papules, which soon turn into small blisters and break down to form a punctate vesicular surface. Itching is unbearable and interferes with sleep.
Subacute eczema
Acute eczema is an extension of acute eczema. There are small papules with a few herpes and blisters, mild vesicles, and a more intense itch. The disease may heal over several weeks or become chronic.
Chronic eczema
The eczema can also be chronic at the onset of subacute eczema. The affected skin is rough, thickened, hard to the touch, mossy, often pigmented, scratch marks, intermittent vesicles, oozing, blood crust and scales, the course of the disease is long, can be extended to several months or years.
- Damp heat evidence
Eczema is common in acute cases. The papules are red, swollen, vesicular, and itchy, or accompanied by body heat, constipation, short urination, yellow, greasy moss, and string veins.
- Blood deficiency
Eczema is common in chronic cases. The rash is pale, thickened, flaky, and mossy, with scratch marks, pigmentation, and blood scabs, accompanied by dizziness, pale lips, weak limbs, light tongue, and stringy pulse.
Damp-heat evidence is based on clearing damp-heat, and for heavy dampness, it is supplemented by strengthening the spleen and resolving dampness. Hand Yangming, Foot Taiyin, and Governor’s meridian points are taken as the main points, and needles are used for diarrhea.
For Blood deficiency, nourish the Blood and moisten the dryness, taking the points of the Yangming and Taiyin meridians as the main points and using the tonic method.
Treatment
Main acupoints: Da Zhi, Bladder meridian line (Da Loom to Bai Wan Yu section).
Companion points: Blood Sea, Feng Shi, and A-Yi points.
The main acupuncture point must be taken, and the supporting points should be added at the discretion of the patient.
In a prone or seated position, the skin needle is used to stimulate the skin from top to bottom, with emphasis on the dorsal and lumbar segments, and the percussion intensity is medium until the skin is flushed. The acupuncture point can be repeatedly tapped within a 2.5 cm diameter area until the skin is flushed. The A-Ye point can be tapped from the outside inwards in the same way as above. Once daily, 5 to 10 times as a course of treatment.
Summary
Acupuncture is a complementary therapy that may balance the energy flow in the body to promote healing, improve health, and boost overall well-being.
The technique may offer many benefits that help treat eczema and related conditions, such as stress, depression, and food allergies. It may also help to lower inflammation, improve sleep, and boost immunity.
Acupuncture treatments provided by an experienced, licensed acupuncturist are safe for most people. Individuals should talk to a doctor before adding acupuncture to their treatment plan.
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