
Psoriasis
A functional medicine approach to psoriasis.
Seeking a natural treatment for psoriasis? Our friendly BionwoRx provider can assist you. This page covers:
At BionwoRx, we’ll collaborate with you to uncover the root cause of your Psoriasis. Then, we can address the real issue naturally and effectively, using our revolutionary approach to healthcare.
Understanding your skin condition
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is often mistakenly seen as just a skin condition, but it’s actually an autoimmune disorder. When the immune system becomes overactive, it causes skin cells to multiply rapidly, resulting in those characteristic raised, thick, dry, red patches.
Furthermore, the inflammation from psoriasis can lead to psoriatic arthritis in some people, causing painful and swollen joints.
Psoriasis
Holistic treatment for psoriasis.
Psoriasis has strong links to gastrointestinal inflammation and dysbiosis of the microbiome. Though the exact causes are still being explored, studies have uncovered connections between psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
That’s why our functional medicine practitioner takes a holistic, whole-body approach to treating psoriasis. By addressing the underlying causes, we can provide a more lasting solution for your autoimmune disorder.

Types of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system goes into overdrive, disrupting normal skin cell production. It’s estimated that 7.4 million Americans and 125 million people worldwide live with this common skin disorder. Interestingly, psoriasis affects men and women equally, with most cases developing between the ages of 16 and 22.
The five main types include:
Plaque psoriasis.
The most common type of psoriasis affects up to 80 percent of people with the condition. This form causes red, scaly plaques that can appear anywhere on the body, but they most often develop on the scalp, face, knees, elbows, abdomen, or lower back. Psoriasis can also present on the fingernails and toenails, which is frequently mistaken for a fungal infection.
Inverse psoriasis.
Inverse psoriasis is a type of psoriasis that affects about 25% of people with the condition. Instead of the typical scaly, raised patches, inverse psoriasis presents as smooth, inflamed red skin, often in skin folds like the armpits and genital area.
Guttate psoriasis.
Around eight percent of people with guttate psoriasis develop small, round, red spots on their skin.
Pustular psoriasis.
About 3 out of every 100 people with psoriasis develop a type called pustular psoriasis. In this form, the skin becomes inflamed and develops white, pus-filled blisters surrounded by reddened areas.
Erythrodermic psoriasis.
Erythrodermic Psoriasis is a rare but serious form of psoriasis that can be life-threatening. It causes intense redness, itching, pain, dehydration, and the shedding of large pieces of skin.
Causes and contributing factors of psoriasis.
Researchers have discovered patterns among people with psoriasis. Many of them experience increased intestinal permeability, altered immune homeostasis, and an imbalance of bacteria that produce short and medium chain fatty acids.
The overactive immune system and T-cell stimulation in psoriasis are thought to have a genetic component. However, other influential factors are also at play, such as digestive imbalances, stress, environmental exposures, and diet.
Individuals with an existing autoimmune condition face a greater risk of developing additional autoimmune conditions, including psoriasis. In fact, around 25% of people with an autoimmune disease tend to develop three or more autoimmune conditions. This is likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Interestingly, guttate psoriasis – which causes an abundance of small, red, scaly plaques on the trunk – often follows a streptococcal throat infection, also known as strep throat.
Our skin health expert can provide functional testing to pinpoint the underlying causes and contributing factors fueling your autoimmune disorder. This will allow us to tailor an effective treatment plan just for you.
Conventional treatment of psoriasis.
Conventional medical treatments, while providing short-term relief, often fail to address the underlying causes of the condition and can lead to undesirable side effects.
The current standard of care for severe psoriasis typically involves topical treatments and systemic drugs like methotrexate, cyclosporin, acitretin, and ultraviolet B phototherapy. While these therapies can help many people with severe psoriasis, they come with significant toxicity that limits the dose and duration of treatment.
The side effects of these drugs are numerous and varied. Methotrexate commonly causes nausea, vomiting, and elevated liver enzymes. Acitretin has been linked to high blood lipids, kidney problems, and birth defects. Cyclosporin is associated with high blood pressure and kidney failure. In fact, six reports have documented serious, even fatal, complications from methotrexate use, including bone marrow suppression.
Furthermore, the condition frequently recurs and can worsen after stopping these treatments, spreading to new areas of the body. Interestingly, the report makes little mention of gut health, the microbiome, or the potential benefits of a low-glycemic diet, suggesting a lack of focus on addressing the root causes of this chronic condition.
Overall, while conventional treatments can provide temporary relief, their significant side effects and failure to treat the underlying issues highlight the need for a more holistic, integrative approach to managing this complex skin disorder.
Functional medicine approach for treating psoriasis.
Personalized assessment.
Our functional medicine practitioner begins by using a range of functional tests, such as microbiome analysis, heavy metal testing, inflammatory markers, and vitamin/mineral levels. This helps determine the underlying cause of your condition.
Based on the findings, we’ll then create a personalized psoriasis treatment plan for you. This may include a combination of tailored functional medicine approaches to address your specific needs, including:
Restoring balance to the gut microbiome.
Research has shown that an imbalance of gut bacteria, known as bacterial dysbiosis, is linked to chronic inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis. Probiotics hold promise as a treatment for psoriasis and other skin disorders, as they can help restore the beneficial bacteria in the microbiome and improve overall gut health.
Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet.
Our expert practitioner will work closely with you to identify and eliminate any inflammatory foods that may be aggravating your psoriasis, such as refined carbohydrates, sugar, dairy, processed foods, and artificial ingredients. At the same time, she will help you adopt a Mediterranean-style diet rich in healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts, and avocados, as well as fresh, organic vegetables and fruits. This approach leverages the significant therapeutic potential of nutrition, harnessing the power of food to have a beneficial impact on your psoriasis symptoms. Unlike conventional treatments, this personalized nutrition plan can make a real difference in managing your condition.
Targeted nutrient supplementation.
Maintaining healthy skin requires a delicate balance of nutrients and minerals. However, this balance can become disrupted due to various factors, such as nutrient deficiencies, reduced digestive function, stress, sun damage, age, and microbiome imbalances. Unfortunately, the foods we eat don’t always provide all the essential nutrients our skin needs.
Fortunately, our functional medicine practitioner can assess your individual nutrient levels and provide targeted supplements to help reduce psoriasis symptoms. These may include essential fatty acids, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, or even supplements to improve digestion and enzymatic activity. With the right support, we can restore the balance your skin needs to thrive.
Reducing toxin exposure.
People with psoriasis often find that fragrances from a variety of everyday products can be highly irritating to their skin. Perfumes, skincare items, laundry detergents, air fresheners, and cleaning supplies can all trigger flare-ups due to the artificial fragrances they contain. These synthetic scents not only aggravate the skin, but can also lead to a toxic buildup in the liver and bloodstream.
Additionally, other environmental factors like cosmetics, alcohol, smoke, fumes, heavy metals, plastics, and dust can potentially exacerbate psoriasis symptoms. Individuals living with this condition need to be mindful of their exposure to these potential triggers in order to better manage their skin health.
Reducing stress.
Stress can trigger an inflammatory response in the body, leading to a range of skin issues like hives and eczema. Research has shown that stress is a key factor in both the onset and worsening of psoriasis, so it’s important to take steps to reduce and manage your stress levels. Your BionwoRx treatment plan will include lifestyle changes and supplements to support healthy stress management.
Making sleep a priority.
Research has shown that people with this autoimmune disorder often experience poorer sleep quality compared to those without the condition. This creates a frustrating cycle, as sleep is crucial for the cellular repair and detoxification processes that support skin health, but the discomfort of psoriasis can make it difficult to get the rest you need.
If getting quality sleep is a concern for you, our functional medicine practitioner can help you establish a healthy sleep routine and enjoy more comfortable nights. By making a few strategic adjustments, you can break this cycle and get the restorative rest your skin needs to thrive.
FAQs.
Is psoriais an autoimmune disease?
Yes. Your immune system normally works to protect your body, but in people with psoriasis, it goes into overdrive. This causes skin cells to multiply much faster than normal, resulting in raised, thick, dry, red patches on the skin.
Can diet help with psoriasis?
Your diet can have a major impact on managing symptoms. Inflammatory foods like refined carbs, sugar, dairy, processed items, and artificial additives may worsen your symptoms. On the other hand, an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean-style diet rich in healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts, and avocados, as well as fresh, organic produce, has been shown to help reduce symptom flare-ups.
How do I know if I have psoriasis?
The autoimmune disorder presents in five different ways, requiring diagnosis by a doctor or dermatologist. The most common type is Plaque Psoriasis, which creates red, scaly plaques that most often appear on the scalp, face, knees, elbows, abdomen, or lower back. Inverse Psoriasis shows up as inflamed, smooth (rather than scaly) red skin. Guttate Psoriasis appears as small, round, red spots.
Pustular Psoriasis occurs as white pustules surrounded by red, inflamed skin. Finally, a rare and potentially life-threatening form called Erythrodermic Psoriasis causes intense redness, pain, itching, dehydration, and the shedding of large sheets of skin.