Acupuncture for Psoriasis and Autoimmune Diseases: Christine’s Story

Christine had been a longtime sufferer of psoriasis before she came to Queen City Acupuncture and Wellness. She was dealing with flare-ups on her fingers and feet that made it “difficult to work and walk.” When she would have a flare-up, she says, “It caused my fingers to look as if they’d been cut by knives. Or like I’d gotten little, tiny paper cuts all over, and then they would spontaneously bleed.”

Her doctor of functional medicine suggested that she try acupuncture with Garrett Krause. He advised that the results would not be immediate and that she should commit for a period of time to allow the treatments to work.

Christine did just that and now says that she is “virtually normal.”

She has learned about her condition and understands that as an autoimmune disease, psoriasis cannot be cured but can be managed. She also understands that she has responsibility in managing her diet to avoid foods that can be triggers for flare-ups. “I can’t always avoid flare-ups, but I can stop them a lot quicker now and they can be less severe,” she says. “I can’t give Garrett 100% of the credit, but I can give him a great big chunk of it because I’m far better and I remain better when I keep away from my triggers.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches…(It) is a common, long-term chronic diseased with no cure… (It) can be painful, interfere with sleep and make it hard to concentrate. The condition tends to go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for a while.”

Many options exist for managing the symptoms, including prescription gels and creams. “I have been offered multiple opportunities from the dermatology world,” says Christine, “but those only address the symptoms. They don’t address the cause. And the side effects, in my view, are not worth it. They include lots of nasty things, including thinning skin. My skin is thin enough! I don’t need it to be any thinner! And so I refused those things. And the doctors wrote ‘Patient refused treatment.’ I wasn’t refusing treatment. I was refusing their treatment.

“A lot of people might not think about acupuncture for autoimmune diseases,” she continues. “But I am here to say that it can help a tremendous amount. It’s slow. It’s not like you can go once and have your symptoms just vanish, but over time it does work. “

 Garrett Krause explains that he was able to help Christine by “focusing on specific acupuncture points that modulate the immune system. There's often misinformation that we can 'boost' the immune system. In essence, we use specific points that allow the body to modulate the immune response, and in her case, help to alleviate her overactive immune system,” he says.

“I continue to go, even though my basic problem has kind of resolved itself,’ says Christine. “I am loathe to stop because I have such general good health now. I’m 72 years old and I look and feel much younger than I am. I have a lot more energy than many people my age, and I know part of that is because of Garrett. When I finish my treatments, I just feel fabulous! Like wow, this is great!”

As a veteran, Christine says she especially appreciates the kindness that she sees Garrett display with not just other veterans but all other patients. “He has special packages just for veterans, and I always buy the package,” she says.

What she most appreciates, she says, is that “Garrett Krause has truly partnered with me in order to improve my health.”

 In addition to helping Christine manage her autoimmune condition, Garrett has also helped Christine during several periods of pain caused by minor auto accidents. She said that unlike the slow-build to effectiveness in treating the autoimmune disease, the treatments she received after the car accidents “did in fact alleviate my pain immediately.”

Christine says that she refers friends and acquaintances to Queen City Acupuncture and Wellness frequently. “I literally keep three of his business cards in my purse at all times so I can pass them out to people!” she says.

“I really want to give Garrett a shout-out for his compassion,” she says. “This man is very compassionate. You can’t get a feel for that on a website, but when you go in person, you can see it. He has a real desire to help folks, and he’s just got a great energy about him. He’s very calm and pleasant and explains what’s going on. I’m really grateful to have him on my team.”