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- Mind body practices may be
a useful edition to the traditional therapies
prescribed by your Rheumatologist.
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Yoga is a mind body therapy that works
on breathing, meditation, and movement
to improve health and wellbeing.
While Yoga has not been studied in randomized trials
in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis,
this therapy has been found to improve patient wellbeing,
physical function, and quality of life in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
There are several forms of Yoga, which are easy
on the joints, and great for stress reduction.
Including restorative Yoga, gentle Yoga, or beginners Yoga.
Yoga for patients with arthritis have been shown
to be beneficial, especially for joint pain,
range of motion, and flexibility with increasing evidence.
It is important to consult your doctor
before starting a new Yoga practice,
and practice with experienced and certified instructors.
Another mind body practice is acupuncture.
There are some evidence for use of acupuncture
to treat psoriasis, unfortunately,
no available studies on psoriatic arthritis.
Although, there are various ways to perform acupuncture,
patients who participated in a six week program
found improvements in their psoriasis.
All in all, acupuncture for patients with osteoarthritis,
a form of wear and tear arthritis has been shown
to significantly reduce pain intensity,
improve functional mobility, and improve quality of life.
A small side note for potential side effects
in patients with active skin disease,
caution must be used as acupuncture
has rarely been reported to cause skin damage,
especially if applied to an active lesion.
Another practice is Tai Chi.
Tai Chi is another mind body therapy
that has not been well studied
in psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis,
but has shown benefit in other forms of arthritis.
Tai Chi is a gentle moving meditation
that is great for stress reduction,
and for improving range of motion for the joints.
Tai Chi is typically offered at community centers
or with local interest groups.
It has proven benefit for patients
with fibromyalgia, as well.
An introduction on Tai Chi and qigong is available
through the National Center for Complementary
and Integrative Health.
Mindfulness based stress reduction.
In a small, randomized control trial,
patients with plaque psoriasis undergoing light therapy,
in additionally performing mindfulness meditation,
guided by audiotape instructions,
had more rapid resolution of their psoriatic lesions
compared to those undergoing light therapy alone.
Mindfulness based stressed reduction
is a structured eight week course,
typically run by a trained mental health provider,
that improves attention,
encourages awareness of the present moment
and develops the ability to cope
with difficult, physical, and mental experiences.
Mindfulness based stress reduction
is offered through our department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services,
as well as short-end versions available in the community.
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