Eczema
Eczema often reflects the body’s deeper health
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin resulting in soreness and itching. Skin can then crack, bleed and potentially become infected. There are many types of eczema with a variety of causes, including genetic and allergic factors.
In homeopathic terms eczema or any skin condition is seen as a relatively safe way for the body to let off steam when under stress. Conventional eczema treatment aims to alleviate the problem by applying cream to the skin. However, a homeopath would treat the underlying cause of the disease, by stimulating the body’s own energy to deal with stress. For a long-term improvement the cause must be treated; if a light were flashing on the dashboard of your car to indicate a problem, you wouldn’t just remove the bulb! Patients undergoing homeopathic treatment for skin conditions, usually find that their first response is often that they feel more relaxed. The treatment then continues on a physical level resulting in a marked improvement if not disappearance of the skin condition.
In cases of babies with eczema this can result from birth trauma. Treatment from a professional homeopath will take this into account. Also a genetic tendency is often the cause of eczema in babies, so it can be beneficial for parents-to-be to seek treatment before conception if there is a strong history of skin problems or allergies.
The concept that stress and trauma can manifest in the skin is also familiar to osteopaths. A common finding is of a stressed and over-aroused nervous system. Both the skin and nervous system develop from the same ‘layer’ of tissue very early on in foetal development, and in this way skin can often reflect what is happening in the nervous system. De-stressing the nervous system can therefore have a very positive effect on skin conditions.
Practitioners of Chinese Medicine also recognise the effects of stress, and advise maintaining emotional equilibrium wherever possible. In Chinese Medicine, eczema is seen as having its origins inside the body. Known as ‘Si Wan Feng’ which means 'four crooks wind' because of its characteristic presentation in the crooks of the elbows and knees, eczema’s major cause is seen as an excess of ‘heat’ inside the body. The factors that cause stress can be physical or emotional in origin, and they can combine to give the many varieties of eczema. Each person’s eczema is unique to them and needs to be analysed as an individual case.
Chinese Medicine practitioners recommend that sufferers help themselves by avoiding eating heated sugar foods, very sweet or spicy foods, and heavy fatty meats. Complementary therapists also often suggest avoiding milk and dairy products, especially those made with cows’ milk. Other food sensitivities, such as to wheat, may also play a part.
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin resulting in soreness and itching. Skin can then crack, bleed and potentially become infected. There are many types of eczema with a variety of causes, including genetic and allergic factors.
In homeopathic terms eczema or any skin condition is seen as a relatively safe way for the body to let off steam when under stress. Conventional eczema treatment aims to alleviate the problem by applying cream to the skin. However, a homeopath would treat the underlying cause of the disease, by stimulating the body’s own energy to deal with stress. For a long-term improvement the cause must be treated; if a light were flashing on the dashboard of your car to indicate a problem, you wouldn’t just remove the bulb! Patients undergoing homeopathic treatment for skin conditions, usually find that their first response is often that they feel more relaxed. The treatment then continues on a physical level resulting in a marked improvement if not disappearance of the skin condition.
In cases of babies with eczema this can result from birth trauma. Treatment from a professional homeopath will take this into account. Also a genetic tendency is often the cause of eczema in babies, so it can be beneficial for parents-to-be to seek treatment before conception if there is a strong history of skin problems or allergies.
The concept that stress and trauma can manifest in the skin is also familiar to osteopaths. A common finding is of a stressed and over-aroused nervous system. Both the skin and nervous system develop from the same ‘layer’ of tissue very early on in foetal development, and in this way skin can often reflect what is happening in the nervous system. De-stressing the nervous system can therefore have a very positive effect on skin conditions.
Practitioners of Chinese Medicine also recognise the effects of stress, and advise maintaining emotional equilibrium wherever possible. In Chinese Medicine, eczema is seen as having its origins inside the body. Known as ‘Si Wan Feng’ which means 'four crooks wind' because of its characteristic presentation in the crooks of the elbows and knees, eczema’s major cause is seen as an excess of ‘heat’ inside the body. The factors that cause stress can be physical or emotional in origin, and they can combine to give the many varieties of eczema. Each person’s eczema is unique to them and needs to be analysed as an individual case.
Chinese Medicine practitioners recommend that sufferers help themselves by avoiding eating heated sugar foods, very sweet or spicy foods, and heavy fatty meats. Complementary therapists also often suggest avoiding milk and dairy products, especially those made with cows’ milk. Other food sensitivities, such as to wheat, may also play a part.
posted by cathy at 3:57 PM
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