Yoga advantages for psoriasis

Megan Couvillion, MD, dermatologist in Houston, underlines that yoga alone is not the answer to cope with psoriasis.

“I would not recommend it as a front line therapy, but I think it can be a useful complementary activity,” she said. “The first business order is to see a dermatologist because we have excellent drugs – they are the pillar of the treatment of the inflammatory response.”

Medical treatments have developed over the years and have become more effective, according to David Parris, MD, dermatologist in Norfolk, Virginia.

“With current modern treatment, about half of patients with psoriasis can be eliminated or almost eliminated and maintain it for years,” said Dr. Parris. “We can help people with psoriasis now much better than we could a few years ago.”

He notes, however, that some of these new treatments – such as biologicals (drugs derived from living sources) – can be very expensive and access may depend on insurance coverage.

On the other hand, yoga, although not a foolproof remedy, can be free of charge.

To find health professionals who use yoga in their practice, the National Psoriasis Foundation offers an online navigation center for patients, which offers free help to find resources.

Dewilde stresses that no matter how bad your psoriasis is, a form of exercise is likely to help.

“I always highlight the importance of physical activity,” she says. “And for many of my patients who have a chronic disease like psoriasis and cannot do much, yoga is less intimidating and seems more doable than trying a crossfit training or something like that.”