Docs think outside box to treat skin

November 22, 2007 – 8:35 am

A 72-year-old man came to see local dermatologist Dr. Ronald Sherman with a severe case of shingles.
After treatment with an antiviral drug, there seemed to be no improvement. The shingles — a virus that affects nerve distribution — were not going away and, after three visits, the man developed a case of Bell’s Palsy, a temporary nerve paralysis.

“To add salt to the wound, this made the whole left side of his face droop. It looked like he had a stroke,” says Sherman, an associated with Advanced Dermatology Center in Ormond Beach.

The patient was referred to a neurologist and was prescribed an anti-seizure medication. When he returned to Dr. Sherman, his shingles had slightly improved, but there was no sign of improvement with the Bell’s Palsy. The physician decided it was time to try something different.

“I had seen acupuncture help shingles, but I didn’t know if it would help with Bell’s Palsy. We had nothing to lose,” he says.

The new treatment, he adds, was nothing short of a miracle.

“The Bell’s Palsy was gone, and you could see a little pigmentation from where the shingles were. I attribute it all to acupuncture,” says Sherman. He adds he refers patients to acupuncturists quite often — usually for pain that won’t subside.

Such nonprescription relief for stress-aggravated skin conditions is becoming more common.

But how can meditation, tai-chi, biofeedback, hypnotherapy or counseling ease the symptoms of rosacea or hives?

Don’t be so quick to dismiss the idea. It seems to be helping when utraviolet light treatments, prescription ointments and creams and antibiotics can’t do the job.

While the jury is still out on how many local dermatologists refer patients for such complementary treatment for skin ailments, it’s happening with frequency in other areas.

New York dermatologist Dr. David Colbert, has an acupuncturist on staff, in fact, working with his rosacea and psoriasis patients, and Tampa-based dermatologist Dr. Philip D. Shenefelt uses hypnosis to treat itching or hives.

Palm Coast-based acupuncturist Scott Beat says he has received referrals from physicians for stress reduction cases. The referrals picked up back in 1998.

“When you insert needles into the body at a specific location, the body releases endorphins which makes the treatment very relaxing,” he says.

“A lot of my patients are the ones guiding the practitioners into acupuncture. They are the ones who are seeking it out,” Beat says, adding that most insurance plans now cover acupuncture, which typically runs $50 to $75 per treatment.

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By Vicky Koren
Correspondent

Last update: October 03, 2005

Tags: dermatologist, skin