Detox Foot Pads and Psoriasis
Detoxifying foot pads are popular in Asia to relieve pain and swelling. Applying them to psoriasis may help to soothe and heal the skin, but others have complained that the adhesive irritates the condition. The pads act as poultices, applying an active ingredient to the skin. Applying poultices has been used traditionally in many countries to heal ailments.
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Facts
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Psoriasis is a complex condition which is not contagious. Rather, it is an immune system response which for unknown reasons causes the body to create too many skin cells, actually creating skin cells in days that would normally be produced over a period of weeks. Applying herbal poultices to soothe psoriasis is an alternative approach to treating psoriasis.
History
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The idea behind modern foot pads comes from traditional Japanese medicine. Using poultices to draw out toxins was used frequently from the fifteenth century on. After the Meiji era, from about 1912 on, a regeneration in interest in Japanese traditional medicine has meant that more and more products and services are offered that are based in traditional Japanese methods.
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Benefits
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Applying a poultice to the skin can have healing benefits. These pads can be applied anywhere there is a problem, so applying them to a patch of psoriasis can help. The body will absorb the active ingredients in a poultice and this can result in a lessening of symptoms. Chaparral, dandelion and yellow dock are herbs traditionally used in healing psoriasis. Should the pad contain these ingredients, it may be beneficial to the psoriasis.
Misconceptions
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One aspect of these pads is that they are considered to be detoxifying. This is one claim which as been criticized by several news reports. Wellspring, National Public Radio and 20/20 have all done informal studies to show that no toxins were found on the pads after use, and they have also shown that by applying any moisture to the pads, the pads change color and begin to smell bad. The report from 20/20 also asked for a response from Avon and Kinoki, two makers of these pads, but did not receive a reply. Another report by WPIX in Pittsburgh had similar results.
Considerations
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There is much misinformation circulating regarding detox foot pads. One website which sells Kenrico foot pads contains misinformation, such as suggesting that the pads began in the Marunouchi era. The Marunouchi is actually a physical place, downtown Tokyo, and not an era. Finally, using poultices to help soothe psoriasis has support from traditional medicine, but using these foot pads may irritate the skin and may not contain the correct herbs which will soothe psoriasis.
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