Manage Eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal with TCM

What is eczema in TCM perspective?

Image from Oriental Remedies Group

In TCM, eczema is understood to be caused by deficiencies in the Spleen, coupled with pathogenic factors such as wind, heat and dampness. In eczema patients, their bodies tend to be naturally weaker (正气不足) and as such, are less able to fight against these pathogenic factors. To nourish the body, our Spleen helps convert the food we consume into Blood and Qi. When the Spleen is weak or has deficiencies (脾虚), such functions are compromised and hence, nutrients from food are converted into internal dampness instead of Blood and Qi.

When internal dampness accumulates in the body, the dampness attacks the skin, therefore causing eczema symptoms to flare-up^[3]. Concurrently, it causes weeping of fluid or even pus from eczema-inflicted wounds, increasing the discomfort and risk of infection for patients. This internal dampness is usually caused by the intake of overly spicy and oily foods, which harms the Spleen, impeding its ability to regulate and remove the dampness in the body, causing the internal dampness to accumulate^[3].

External dampness from humid environments - which is highly prevalent in Singapore, can also accumulate and contribute to the internal dampness in our body, therefore worsening eczema symptoms.

The wind pathogen can also aggravate symptoms of eczema. Firstly, when the external wind pathogen invades the body through weakened skin barrier, it can result in itching. Moreover, wind pathogen causes the eczema flare-ups to occur sporadically over different parts of the body quickly or suddenly, such as at the neck, hands and legs.

Excess heat may also accumulate due to the intake of excessive oily and spicy foods or from external heat in the environment. In Singapore’s humid weather, inflammation can worsen in the body and cause blood vessels to expand, causing skin to be red and inflamed in eczema.

A healthy body contains Yin and Yang energies in balance. However, when Yin is deficient, it causes Yang to be stronger in comparison. As such, when there is excess heat in the body, apart from causing inflammation, it will also deplete fluids in the body, leading to Yin deficiency (an analogy to better understand this would be how heat causes water to evaporate or boil, thus causing water to “dry up”). This would cause the loss of moisture from the skin, aggravating dry skin, worsening eczema symptoms.

Based on your eczema symptoms, TCM physicians are able to get a better understanding of your body constitution and identify the root cause of your eczema. For example, if you experience itchy skin, it indicates that the wind pathogen is present in your body. If there is oozing or weeping of skin wounds, there is excess dampness accumulated in the body. Whereas if your skin is dry and flaky, it indicates Yin deficiency, and you may also experience frequent thirst, hot flashes, perspiration during sleep and frequent frustration. Lastly, if your skin is red and inflamed, there is likely to be excess heat in your body.

Treating Topical Steroid Withdrawal with TCM

Due to the great discomfort caused by eczema, and without a clear conventional cure in Western Medicine, eczema patients are usually prescribed topical steroid creams to reduce or alleviate the itchiness and rashes on their skin. However, these steroid creams do not cure eczema or stop the itchy flare-ups permanently. As such, many patients rely on these creams for long periods of time, and hence, may develop an over-reliance on topical steroids. If this occurs and they suddenly stop the use of topical steroids, they run a high risk of developing topical steroid withdrawal, where patients experience burning or stinging sensations, accompanied with severe itching and raw, red skin – akin to getting a painful sunburn. Moreover, after the redness begins to fade, dry and scaly patches on the skin may emerge. Others may even experience fluid oozing from skin, blisters, edema or swelling, and nerve pain^[4].

While lifestyle changes can be used to mitigate some of the symptoms, they may not be sufficient to prevent or calm down the flare-ups in a short amount of time. Hence, TCM treatments can be used concurrently to hasten and improve recovery.

At Oriental Remedies Group (ORG), various TCM eczema treatments are used to help patients who suffer from eczema, topical steroid withdrawal and red skin syndrome to better manage and improve their lives.

Herbal medication forms a huge and vital part of TCM, and various herbs are used to boost the function of the Spleen, and dispel the pathogenic factors that contribute to eczema. For example, your physician may prescribe Fu Ling (茯苓) for Spleen deficiency and dampness in the body, since Spleen deficiency is one of the main causes behind eczema. Specific to eczema, Fang Feng (防风) or Bai Ji Li (白蒺藜) are commonly used to dispel wind. Based on specific symptoms, physicians may prescribe other different herbs accordingly to relieve eczema symptoms.

External herbal soaks may also be prescribed to repair the skin barrier and promote skin recovery.

Good gut health prevents the “leaking” of proteins into the body that can cause eczema flare-ups. With the help of ORG Gut Essentials, a synbiotic supplement, good bacteria can grow in the gut to help maintain your gut health, immune system and reduce inflammation. This can help to reduce the occurrence of eczema flare-ups and the intensity of its symptoms.

For acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the body to stimulate specific meridian points, to correct imbalances in the organs, boost organ function, as well as dispel the pathogens.

Research has shown that acupuncture is effective and beneficial for eczema, as it helps to reduce inflammatory cytokines and basophil activation in the body, and stimulates increased blood flow to the needle insertion sites, hence helping to reduce itchiness and inflammation, as well as heal lesions and normalise the thickening of the skin for skin recovery^[5]. Concurrently, the acupuncture used can induce beneficial changes in the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, helping with the pain and emotional pain some eczema patients may face, as well as reducing stress and stress-related symptoms in the body^[5].

For children with eczema, paediatric massages can also be used, as the gentler hand techniques used helps to improve and regulate the flow of Qi and Blood throughout the meridian channels, soothing the Spleen and Lungs. This helps to restore balance in the child’s body constitution, as well as reducing eczema symptoms and promoting skin recovery.

At ORG, modern technology-enhanced therapies such as Electro-Lymphatic Therapy (ELT) and Negative Ion Therapy are used to complement the above TCM methods for eczema.

1. Electro-Lymphatic Therapy (ELT)

ELT is a gentle and non-invasive technique which helps stimulate the proper flow and drainage of the Lymphatic system using a combination of vibrational, light and electrical waves which break down the protein clumps formed in the Lymphatic system from the toxins accumulated in our body. While the surface technique is patterned after Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, ELT can promote lymphatic drainage at a deeper level and in a lesser amount of time. Through the ELT process, the body experiences reduction in inflammation as toxins in our Lymphatic system are excreted out from the body more effectively. Therefore, eczema patients experience a smoother skin recovery with less itch and redness of the skin.

Source  

     ii. Negative Ion Therapy

A non-invasive therapy that uses a wellness device from Japan to provide the body with a high amount of negative ions (exhibits anti-oxidant properties) that helps to increase blood circulation and cellular metabolism in the body, allowing for more efficient nutrient absorption and removal of waste products and toxins. This process aids our body in managing inflammation more effectively, thereby reducing eczema symptoms. On top of that, patients experience additional perks of improved sleep quality and overall wellness!

Success stories from eczema patients at Oriental Remedies Group:

This article was written by Oriental Remedies Group

Oriental Remedies Group (ORG) is a leading patient-centred healthcare provider offering effective treatments grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and enhanced with tech-enhanced therapies.

We have grown to a team of bilingual physicians who, on average, have more than 10 years of TCM experience. Trained in both Biomedical Science and TCM, our physicians are well-equipped with scientific knowledge and wisdom from traditional medicine. We aim to help everyone who passes through our doors feel better faster through the implementation of tech-enhanced treatments.

ORG’s vision is to help all mankind #BeTheBestYouCanBe by leading a healthy and fulfilling life.

Find out more about our team of physicians at:

https://www.orientalremediesgroup.com/physicians/

Contact at:

+65 8742 2163

www.orientalremediesgroup.com

Note: all words in Italics mentioned henceforth refer to the TCM organ system and not the anatomical organs/terms referenced in western medicine.

Disclaimer:

This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general information purposes only. Oriental Remedies Group makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information, and such information is subject to change without notice.

Any devices used for technology-enhanced therapies are intended for use only for general well-being purposes or to encourage or maintain a healthy lifestyle, and is not intended to be used for any medical purpose (such as the detection. diagnosis, monitoring, management or treatment of any medical condition or disease). Any health-related information provided by this device or software should not be treated as medical advice.

References

[1] https://www.sgh.com.sg/news/singapore-health/the-itch-that-wont-stop

[2] https://www.a-star.edu.sg/sris/research/atopic-dermatitis

[3] https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zlifestyle/beauty-health/story20190625-967110

[4]  https://www.healthline.com/health/red-skin-syndrome#symptoms

[5] https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijam/international-journal-of-allergy-medications-ijam-4-030.php