Psoriasis and Mud

We had a wonderful question presented to us last night about how Psoriasis can be treated using mud. Here is some research that talks about this very question. This research is originally written in Italian, so pardon the grammar!

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[Psoriasis and mud bath therapy: clinical-experimental study]
[Article in Italian]
Costantino M, Lampa E.
Clin Ter. 2005 Jul-Aug;156(4):145-9. Italian.
Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli, Crisceb (Centro di Ricerche Interdipartimentali, Scienze Computazionali e Biotecnologiche), Scuola di Specializzazione in Idrologia Medica, Napoli, Italia. maria.costantino@unina2.it

OBJECTIVE: The psoriasis is chronic disease characterized from an acceleration of the kinetic of the cells of epidermis. To front of the empirical evidence of the benefits of the thermal therapy in the psoriasis, the experimentals-clinics studies is insufficient. The aim of research it has been that of quantify the benefits of the mud-bath therapy with mineral water in the psoriasis. PATIENT AND METHODS: The study has been channel on a champion of 30 subjects of which 19 of male sex and 11 of female sex with middle equal age to 56 years +/- 5.3 affected from psoriasis. The subjects of the examined champion have been divided to random in 2 groups: A and B. The group A has been treated with drugs used for psoriasis for 12 days; the B group has been treated, always for 12 consecutive days, with mud-bath therapy (FBT) with mineral water obtained from the mineral sources (chlorinate-sulphureous-bicarbonate) of the Spa of Stabia in Castellammare (NA). To the beginning and at the end of the advised treatments has been valued the prurient symptomatology and the PASI (Psoriasis and Severity Index). RESULTS: The data highlight an significant reduction is of the prurient symptomatology and of the PASI in both the groups considered. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this first step of investigations seems to highlight that the FBT (mud-bath therapy ) treatment, to the same way of the drugs anti-psoriasis, results useful in the ameliorate the quality of life of these patients.

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In plain English? What this study seems to be saying is that mineral rich mud baths are effective at reducing the itching associated with Psoriasis, as well as reducing the severity of other symptoms (without indicating specifically what those symptoms are). Of note is that mud baths are AS EFFECTIVE as Psoriasis drugs in treatment, in this small study. The mud used in this study is from a different source than the Austrian Tiefenmoor used by Moor Spa, but ours is also characterized by a high mineral content.

The recommendation for Psoriasis is to take mud baths every other day, and use Moor Spa Skin Balm, with Goldenseal, topically.

Thanks for the great question, hope this helps!

Detoxifying

Most of us groan a little as we think about the excesses we’ve lived through over the holiday season: too much food (of the wrong sort), too much alcohol, not enough exercise, not enough sleep, along with the stresses of parties, shopping, and family events.



These excesses live on in our bodies as “toxins”, along with toxins that we ingest through air pollution or pesticides contained in our food. Along with the ingested toxins come those that are the byproduct of our body’s natural functions - breathing, digestion, or muscular contraction. In that instance, we can call uric acid or lactic acid a toxin as well. Under optimal conditions our bodies are able to almost completely eliminate the latter type of toxins. Our bodies were not designed to process and eliminate the synthetic toxins, however – heavy metals, PCB’s, nicotine and other synthetic chemicals. These toxins may accumulate in our internal organs, our skin, or be trapped in fatty tissue.



Simply put, a toxin is merely a waste product in the body that hasn’t been excreted.



Accumulated toxins can lead to sluggishness, brain fog, fluid retention, and an inability to let go of extra weight. Toxins can be equated to “clutter” in the body. If your desk is cluttered, how much more time does it take to get your work done?


Encouraging your body to let go of toxins
For the most part, we trust in the sophisticated systems in the human body to detoxify itself, however, we can also support our bodies in a number of ways.

• Drink water – help your body help itself by giving it the fluids it needs to flush toxins through your kidneys. One to three servings of Herbal Infusion in water or juice daily can assist with this.
• Improve digestion with a healthy diet. This includes fibre-rich foods like fresh, raw vegetables and fruits; whole grains including brown rice, millet, and quinoa; and raw nuts and seeds. Did you know that ounce for ounce, sesame seeds are the most calcium rich food available?
• Get plenty of restorative sleep. Going to bed early so that you can get 8 hours of solid sleep is a decadent and rewarding thing to do. You can prepare your body for sleep by taking an evening Moor Mud bath. Through simple osmosis, moor mud will also help your body detoxify.
• Eliminate (or reduce) your intake of non-nutritive products like white bread, processed foods, coffee, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
• Reduce serving sizes of meat in your diet. A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards is about 3 ounces, the recommended portion for a meal. Avoid processed meats.
• Reduce stress with lifestyle changes. Do small things daily, and don’t resign yourself to a life of high stress. Meditation, yoga, and visualization are all ways to teach your body to let go of stress.
• Exercise and get a good sweat going. Shower and steam afterwards and you’ll rid your body of loads of toxins.
• Exfoliate your skin – either with a body scrub or dry brushing. Try a salt glow or Moor Spa’s Body Scrub Cream.
• Choose healthy personal care products that take care to use natural source ingredients, without chemical preservatives, artificial colours or fragrances, or petroleum derived ingredients. This reduces the toxic load you put on your body. Moor Spa’s complete line of skin care offers plenty of options.

How do we encourage clients to invest their time and energy into detox?
People want to feel good. They want to feel energetic, have high energy levels, let go of extra weight, and have fresh and healthy looking skin. Your clients are bombarded with the fear of “toxins” in magazines and on television, but we don’t want to feed into that fear.

By no means do we want to promise something we can’t deliver to our clients. Honestly, there is no such thing as a magic bullet. We need to keep our integrity and credibility intact, and our clients need to commit to doing their own work too.

So, knowing that there is nothing you can “sell” your clients to “fix” them, what can you do to help them in their journey to better health?

Offer supportive encouragement, reliable information, and treatments that help them feel better. A warm, soothing, detoxifying Moor Mud wrap can help kickstart the process for them, as can an invigorating Salt Glow. Offer clients at-home support with Herbal Infusion and Herbal Bath, and they can be on their way to making positive changes in their health.