Can Acupuncture Help Eczema?

Currently, experts and doctors say that eczema is incurable condition – however it is manageable /controllable. It can flare up periodically and subside. With the appropriate approaches and treatment, the flare-up can be prevented. How about acupuncture (a traditional Chinese medication)? Does it help for eczema?

The treatment plan for eczema can involve the different approaches. And if you are looking for some that can provide benefits in improving the problem with least side effects, lifestyle approaches are the answer.

The following are some common lifestyle and home remedies that are often recommended to help improve & treat eczema:

1. Watch on the temperature of your room! This is important since too hot /too cold temperature can worsen the symptoms or even trigger the flare-up in some cases.
2. Keep far away from irritants such as harsh soap, dust, dust mites, smoke, wool, or detergents. Choose the safe clothes, for instance don’t wear rough clothing! For more information about irritants that can worsen eczema, visit this section!
3. The urge of scratching the affected /itchy skin is the most challenging thing. However, it’s much better to not scratch & rub the affected skin. Always remember that scratching is not the answer in dealing with the problem, instead it can worsen the problem!
4. Some people underestimate the effect of stress. But in fact it can affect your entire health, including your skin. Many eczema sufferers find that it can be a trigger or worsen the symptoms. So, you need to control and manage it as well. For more in-depth information about the correlation between eczema and stress, read this section!

Another thing you need to concern is about dry skin. Many people with eczema are genetically born with dry skin. And as well we know that dry skin is bad since it can make the skin easier to get itchy and trigger the flare-up of eczema.

Therefore if you have this skin disorder, it’s important for you to avoid having dry skin. The following are common guidelines to cope with dry skin:

1. Since the skin of people with eczema is more sensitive than others, wash your skin carefully! In general, it’s recommended to choose lukewarm water for your shower instead of taking hot shower.
2. Choose the safe soap! For most people, having foamy shower is safe, but for eczema sufferers, this can make skin dry even more. And as mentioned before, dry skin is bad for the problem. Therefore, it’s recommended to choose a non-soap cleanser or a mild soap.
3. Make the time of bathing as fast as possible in order to minimize water contact. More minutes you spend for bathing can worsen your dry skin problem.
4. And another important step you need to concern is using moisturizer (particularly emollient). This should be a part of your daily skin-care routine.

In addition, if you have kids with this skin disorder, make sure to always keep their fingernails short. This can help reduce the chance of infection when they scratch their itch skin.

Generally, many people have perception that taking herbs is a safe option to tone & strengthen the body’s systems.

There is nothing wrong with this perception. However there are also some herbs that may be counterproductive. Therefore to keep safe, it’s much better if you consult first with your doctor before taking any herb!

How about with acupuncture? Does it work in helping to improve eczema?

According to some studies in 2009, the use of acupuncture along with a variety of Chinese herbs called TCM /Traditional Chinese medicine seemed to be effective for helping to treat eczema both in adults and in children.