What Is the Best Treatment for Psoriasis?
- May 29, 2024
- Written by : Rebecca LaMarca, MSN, APN-BC, CNS
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an incredibly common yet not entirely understood skin condition that affects more than three million people in the U.S. every year. It is considered to be one of the most common autoimmune diseases in the world, and is a chronic condition that can last for a lifetime. There are many different types of psoriasis including plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Symptoms may look like red/inflamed patches of skin covered with silvery scales and accompanied by itching, and sometimes pain. Similar to other autoimmune diseases, triggers can be stress, infections, irritation to medications, and even changes in the weather. Aside from physical uncomfort, individuals who suffer from psoriasis may have complications with their social life, mental health and emotional state, especially during flare ups. Treatment options include topical therapy, light therapy, and oral or injected medications. 1 Recent studies suggest that ozone therapy can serve as a treatment for psoriasis, among other skin conditions.
Ozone therapy for psoriasis
Ozone therapy presents itself as a promising treatment plan for psoriasis due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and immune-module effects. Ozone therapy can help reduce inflammation by modulating the immune response and suppressing pro-inflammatory molecules involved in the inflammatory process. In some cases, psoriasis flare-ups can be triggered by bacterial or fungal infections. Ozone therapy’s antimicrobial properties help combat these infections and reduce the severity of psoriasis symptoms. Additionally, since psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, Ozone therapy can help reduce the amount of flare ups by supporting the immune system. Moreover, the increase of oxygen promotes tissue repair, resulting in the restoration of healthier skin post flare-ups.
The Science
According to a 2023 study about ozone therapy for skin diseases, high doses of ozone promote inflammation by activating the nuclear factor kappa B pathway3 — a group of proteins that control immune and inflammatory responses.
The study cites this example: “During the onset of psoriasis, an abnormal increase in pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs, such as LPS and peptidoglycan) and structurally activated multiple inflammatory cytokines via the NF‐κB pathway can be detected in psoriatic lesions. … Our study revealed that ozone therapy inhibited the expression of various chemokines, including chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand 1(CXCL1), CXCL2, and CXCL3, as well as inflammatory cytokines associated with psoriasis.”
Another study from 2020 conducted by some of the same researchers found that topical ozone helps improve the presence of skin lesions from psoriasis.4 The study consisted of 10 patients being assessed four times over a two-week timespan.
“The patients’ psoriatic skin lesions improved significantly after ozone therapy; clinical and histological improvements were evident in patients,” according to the study. “There were obvious attenuations of inflammatory erythema and scales showing in clinical photographs. Histology and [reflectance confocal microscopy] images showed that the epidermis was significantly thinner and that infiltrating inflammatory cells had decreased after 14 days ozone treatment as compared to before treatment. Correspondingly, the [psoriasis area and severity index] scores dropped significantly after the 14-day treatment as compared with baselines.”
IV Elements’ 10 pass ozone treatment for psoriasis
At IV Elements, we offer multiple types of ozone therapy, but our 10 pass ozone therapy tends to benefit those with chronic conditions like psoriasis.
This technique uses special equipment to draw 200 cc of blood rapidly into a sterile glass bottle and mix it with pressurized ozone before quickly returning it to the body.
REFERENCES
Psoriasis – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. (2024, May 17). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355845
Liu, L., Zeng, L., Gao, L., Zeng, J., & Lu, J. (2022). Ozone therapy for skin diseases: Cellular and molecular mechanisms. International Wound Journal, 20(6), 2376–2385. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.14060
Definition of NF-KB – NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. (n.d.). Cancer.gov. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/nf-kb
Zeng, J., Lei, L., Zeng, Q., Yao, Y., Wu, Y., Li, Q., Gao, L., Du, H., Xie, Y., Huang, J., Tan, W., & Lu, J. (2020). Ozone therapy attenuates NF-ΚB-Mediated local inflammatory response and activation of TH17 cells in treatment for psoriasis. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 16(11), 1833–1845. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.41940
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