Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis

What is psoriatic arthritis?

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease characterized by psoriatic rash and multiple joint pain. The disease is prone to recurrence and may even cause joint ankylosis in the later stages, seriously affecting people's quality of life.

Etiology and pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis

In traditional Chinese medicine, this disease is mostly caused by the imbalance of yin and yang in the body, and the invasion of external evil, or due to emotional distress, the liver qi cannot be regulated, and the long-term depression turns into fire, which over time damages the body's yin fluid, resulting in yin deficiency and blood dryness, which cannot nourish the skin and unclog the joints, and then cause the disease; or due to the invasion of external evil, the patient's body is yang deficient, the pores are not solid, and evil qi such as wind, cold and dampness invade the body, blocking the joints and bones, blood circulation is not smooth, the blood vessels are blocked, and the skin loses its nourishment, resulting in arthralgia; or the body is yang-excessive, and is attacked by heat evil, the fire damages the yin, the yin fluid is exhausted, the fire invades the skin and joints, and causes arthralgia.

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine treat psoriatic arthritis?

1. Du-moxibustion treatment

Different patients are treated dialectically based on their tongue coating, pulse and clinical symptoms. Patients who are affected by the cold should first pay attention to keeping warm in time, add more clothes when the weather changes, and apply appropriate hot compresses or heat therapy to painful joints. They can also undergo our department's special treatment of traditional Chinese medicine - Governor-moxibustion treatment to warm the meridians and unblock the collaterals, and harmonize yin and yang. Governor-moxibustion treatment is a treatment method that applies moxibustion to the patient's Governor-moxibustion and surrounding acupoints. It has the characteristics of long-lasting efficacy, large area of ​​action, and long treatment time. The combination of mugwort and ginger enhances the effect of moxibustion, and has a good effect on dispelling the cold and improving immunity.

2. Fire Dragon Cup Therapy

This technology is a new type of traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy technology that combines multiple techniques such as scraping, ironing, moxibustion, and cupping. It can have a good clinical effect on patients with neck, shoulder, back and limb joint pain caused by psoriatic arthritis.

3. Acupoint application and Chinese medicine application

Psoriatic arthritis often affects the distal small joints of the hands and feet, causing inflammatory lesions at the finger (toe) ends. The use of acupoint plasters combined with the application of the Chinese medicine Bitong Fang can promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, reduce swelling and relieve pain, and has a good therapeutic effect on improving joint inflammation and relieving small joint pain.

4. Take Chinese medicine internally

Psoriatic arthritis is mostly caused by yin deficiency and blood dryness. Based on the four examinations, it can be divided into syndromes such as wind-cold blocking the collaterals, blood heat and wind dryness, damp-heat accumulation, raging heat and toxicity, and liver and kidney deficiency. Through syndrome differentiation and treatment, the use of methods such as dispelling wind and cold, cooling blood and moistening dryness, clearing heat and dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying, and activating blood circulation and unblocking collaterals can improve the condition and relieve pain and skin symptoms.

Daily living and care

Because the disease has a long course, recurrent symptoms, and is accompanied by joint and skin damage, patients should regulate their emotions, avoid excessive anxiety and irritability, pay attention to rest, maintain rich nutrition, avoid smoking, drinking, spicy and stimulating foods, wear loose clothes, avoid scratching the skin, maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, add or remove clothes when appropriate, and perform appropriate joint function exercises.