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Chinese Medicine Dermatology
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Skin conditions and traditional Chinese medicineThe skin is the largest organ of the body. It acts as a protective barrier to the outside world, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensation of touch. In Chinese medicine, the skin is also viewed as a mirror to the body's internal health.
How does traditional Chinese medicine approach skin disorders? When addressing skin disorders, a TCM practitioner will look to see how a skin disorder presents, including its appearance, location, aggravating and alleviating factors, but will equally take into account the overall health and wellbeing of a person. Chinese herbal medicine and dietary therapy are the main forms of treatment for skin conditions, although acupuncture may also be used. Unlike many modern Western methods, treatment focuses on addressing the skin from the inside out, as opposed to simply suppressing symptoms. What disorders may Chinese medicine help with? Traditional Chinese medicine may be used to treat a wide range of skin disorders from general symptoms such as redness and itchness, to skin lesions associated with biomedically defined skin disorders such as acne vulgaris, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia and urticaria. What does a typical treatment programme invlove? A typical treatment programme with traditional Chinese medicine uses a combination of acupuncture, herbs, nutrition and lifestyle counseling. Treatment is individualy customized and takes into account multiple factors including the presentation of your skin conditions, your general health and wellbeing, as well as any biomedical test findings and diagnoses. The frequency and length of treatment is typically determined by the nature of your skin disorder, although a minimal course of three months is generally recommended. |