Written by admin on 2009-03-20T12:17:02+0000">March 20, 2009 – 12:17 pm
The skin is not only a covering for our body, it controls temperature – by perspiring or shivering – and is an indicator of health. It is also an organ of elimination. It takes the overflow from the other three organs which have to clean up after digestion and ingestion.
These are the lungs (which clear smoke, dust and mucus for us); the kidneys (which move excess fluid via the bladder); and the intestines (which rhythmically chase faecal matter down the tubes).
If the skin is showing signs of trouble, you can bet your bottom dollar that one, two or three of the other organs are overloaded and asking for help.
Chiropractic/osteopathic adjustments stimulate the nerve supply to the elimination organs. First we palpate to feel if the dorsal spine needs adjusting, as this is where the nerve supply to the stomach, liver and kidneys originates. If tension or limited range of motion is at all obvious, this section of the spine is adjusted to stimulate the function of these organs. There has also been much success using cranial adjustments for skin problems.
Constipation will quickly aggravate the skin. There is a great deal you can do here to help yourself:
Drink enough fluids, especially on getting up in the morning.
This stimulates the bowel to function.
2. Eat daily an adequate amount of essential foods-grains, meat, fish, eggs,
cottage cheese, oils, fruit, salads and vegetables in correct proportion.
Add bran and linseed if needed and if you can tolerate them.
Reduce animal and dairy fats in the diet as they clog the skin and congest
the bowel. The liver needs help too, so eliminate caffeinated drinks.
The onset of puberty is when skin problems arise.
Acupuncture balances hormone function and is worthwhile investigating for your skin problem. I use laser or straight acupuncture (depending on the age of the patient.)
Jennifer’s story-Jennifer was twelve when her skin problem started to be noticeable. She developed red patches which were slightly raised when she became hot. Then the areas behind her knees and at her elbows became very red, typical of eczema. The application of cortisone cream did very little to help.
Two years later, she developed nasty patches on her knees which developed into impetigo. They were very unsightly, open, weeping and impossible to ease except by bathing in a saline solution. The knees needed bandaging for her to go to school and this caused her great distress.
At this time, all the doctors could say was that she would grow out of it at some stage; that there was nothing else that could be done, except to use the cortisone cream. This continued for most of the year. School was difficult, and the girl would hide away from her fellow students who treated her badly.
Her mother, deciding to take matters into her own hands, brought her daughter for natural therapy. Mother had once before been treated for a bad back, and on another occasion for sinusitis, and she had great hopes that her daughter could be helped.
Her condition was so much better after just one treatment of acupuncture. She said she didn’t know why she didn’t bring her before. Her daughter had about five weekly treatments with the needles. Now three years later there is hardly a sign that she had ever had eczema, much less impetigo.
Vitamins necessary to keep the skin glowing are vitamin A for dry skin, vitamin B for stress or cracked skin, vitamin C for lowered immune resistance and the healing of infections, and vitamin E for elasticity of the skin. Add to this formula the mineral zinc.
If there are pustules, you need a cell salt called calcium sulphate. If the trouble is blind pimples, then the cell salt needed is silicea, found under the skin of vegetables.
Eczema requires the herbal sarsaparilla with oil of primrose capsules. Red clover tea, aloe vera, witch hazel ointment and potato juice compress are all effective. Use calendula in Herbon moisturising cream, which you can buy at your health food store.
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