Traditional chinese medicine principles in the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis vulgaris

Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing skin disease that has been known for thousands of years. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) first described psoriasis 1600 years ago. The precise etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis are not known, although there are many hypotheses. Several commonly accepted points of view in TCM for the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis exist. These include syndromes of blood and wind heat, blood stasis, blood deficiency-dryness, and fire-toxin heat. In all cases, the physician should pay attention to the color of psoriatic lesions. While suffering from psoriasis, the liver and kidneys are specifically affected, and the insufficiency of these two organs is reflected on the level of blood and nourishment. Physiotherapy is the main therapeutic method of TCM for treatment of psoriasis and is directed to eliminate the stagnation and activation of blood. Several methods of treating psoriasis with acupuncture are described in this article. These include the following: choosing points according to the syndromes, choosing points according to the location of lesions, which points should be treated in all patients suffering from psoriasis, bloodletting from the root of the ear and from the three kui points, application of a plum-blossom needle, and cupping therapy. The important place of auriculotherapy in the treatment of psoriasis is also reviewed.