December 7, 2006 – Uncommon Treatment May Offer Relief For People With Psoriasis, Experimental Study From Austria Finds1. A fish present in Turkish thermal waters would effectively rid the skin of the dead cells characteristic of this type of chronic disease.
In this study, 67 patients, aged 10 to 75 years, with moderate to severe psoriasis took a daily hot bath in the company of 250 to 400 Garra rufa fish 5 cm to 10 cm long. The participants took part in this therapy for three weeks.
Each bath, which lasted two hours, was followed by an exposure session to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The researchers were inspired by the treatments provided over the past thirty years in a sunny spa located at high altitude in Kangal, Turkey.
Young fish in the carp family have fed on the dander of the epidermis of patients quite effectively to produce tangible results.
The participants were examined, before and after treatment, by following a test known by its English name, the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). The study authors observed that 46.3% of participants experienced significant relief from their symptoms. These subjects improved their PASI score by 75%.
Also, the condition of 91% of study participants had progressed enough to have a positive effect on their quality of life.
Two-thirds of participants reported less severe symptoms when the psoriasis reappeared later, three months to three years after this series of treatments. By the participants’ own admission, the peeling action of the fish was neither strange nor disgusting, but rather pleasant, comparing it to a micromassage of the skin. No adverse effects have been reported.
The authors want clinical trials to be conducted with a larger number of subjects in order to confirm these favorable results.
Currently, there are few options available to people looking to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis: light therapy, cortisone ointments, or medication. About 2% of the western population is affected by this chronic skin disease.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
1. Grassberger M. and Hoch W, Ichthyotherapy as Alternative Treatment for Patients with Psoriasis: A Pilot Study, Oxford University Press, 2006; 3 (4) 483-488. To access the study: http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org [consulté le 7 décembre 2006].
