A 33-year-old woman came to our clinic complaining of painful, dry, itchy eczema patches on her arms and legs. Steroid creams helped control the itching, but the dry skin never fully recovered. This eczema case review describes how acupuncture reduced her eczema by 80 percent, bringing lasting, long-term relief.
What Is Eczema?
Eczema is a form of atopic dermatitis, a common, chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects children and adults worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of people in the U.S. have some form of atopic dermatitis, which causes itchy, dry, scaly patches on the skin.
Chinese Medicine Perspective
From a Chinese medicine perspective, eczema involves disharmony with the lungs and kidneys. Both organs play an important role in nourishing the skin. Eczema is often accompanied by asthma, especially in children. Children with asthma treated with steroids will often later develop eczema, and the reverse is true as well. Those with childhood eczema who receive steroids may develop asthma. Furthermore, many adults who have eczema had the condition as a child. Such is the case with the patient in this eczema case review.
There are many different types of eczema – spots, patches, red, brown, dry, moist, itchy, and weepy. Eczema often goes dormant for a time (months or years), only to flare up again under stress. While people can often control eczema with corticosteroid creams, many seek more natural treatment. That’s where acupuncture comes in.
Eczema Case Review
In this eczema case review, our patient had “damp heat” type eczema – patches of weepy, itchy, red skin on her arms and legs. She had eczema as a child but had been in remission until two years ago when it returned following the start of a new, high-stress job. Steroid creams provided minimal relief, and the condition was worsening with each passing month.
Our treatment focused on nourishing her lung and kidney qi, transforming dampness, and clearing toxic heat from the skin. We utilized organ points (acupuncture points that influence organ function) such as LU9, LU7, KD6, and SP9 and local acupoints surrounding the most prominent patches of eczema. She received the initial four treatments one week apart.
Acupuncture Resolves Eczema
Our patient started seeing improvement after the initial treatment. The eczema patches on her arms and legs became less inflamed, smaller, and less itchy. After the fourth treatment, her eczema was 50 percent better. We continued treating her once a week for another six visits, at which time she was 90 percent better.
The results described in this eczema case review are typical of our success in treating eczema. Some patients present with dry, flaky skin, requiring a different type of treatment. However, they also respond well to acupuncture.
Next Steps
If you or a loved one suffers from eczema, try acupuncture. You’ll know within a few treatments if acupuncture can improve your condition. Maybe our next eczema case review may be about your successful treatment!
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What our Clients are Saying
I developed eczema as a child and have managed the condition for years with steroid creams. Recently my stress level went up from a work situation, and the itching became intolerable. The creams didn’t help and I was desperate. Research online led me to Raleigh Acupuncture. They treated the itching by reducing my eczema. It worked better than the cream ever did. I wish I had done this 15 years ago, as my skin and itching is 90% better.
I’ve had eczema all my adult life and had resigned myself to managing it with steroid creams. I would have done this forever had my father-in-law not suggested that acupuncture could help. I was quite skeptical, knowing how stubborn this skin condition was. I have seen close to a dozen dermatologists over the years, and none of them have ever been able to do anything more than prescribe steroids. Over the counter creams never worked for me.
Pardon the long introduction, but I wanted you to know my situation. That’s why I was surprised and more than pleased to see my eczema improve substantially after receiving acupuncture treatment. After two treatments my then current flare settled down. With continued treatment my chronic patches started to recede. Itching was substantially reduced as well. I now receive what they call maintenance treatment for my eczema, which I will happily do each month.
I researched all of the top acupuncture practices in Raleigh before selecting Raleigh Acupuncture. The doctors there were thoughtful, knowledgeable, and well versed in treating eczema. They delivered on what they promised, to control and substantially resolve my eczema. I highly recommend them.