The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
In Chinese Medicine, psoriatic arthritis is sometimes associated with Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp, a so-called "patterns of disharmony". Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted. It is not equivalent to the Western concept of "disease" because both concepts arise from totally different ways of seeing the human body.
To understand whether someone's psoriatic arthritis might be caused by the pattern Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp, one needs to look for signs and symptoms associated with the pattern beyond what one might typically experience from psoriatic arthritis alone. Indeed if psoriatic arthritis is caused by Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp, patients also experience symptoms such as swollen and painful joints that are warm to the touch and worsen at night, reduced range of motion in the affected joints, chills without sweating and weight loss. Similarly, patients with Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp typically exhibit slippery (Hua) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a tongue with thick white coating.
We've listed below a more detailed description of Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp so that you can have a better understanding of where psoriatic arthritis might find its root according to Chinese Medicine.
Once identified, patterns are often treated using herbal formulas. Drinking herbal infusions is the most common remedy in Chinese Medicine, together with acupuncture. Here we detail below Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang, a formula that can help treat Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp.
Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi) is the key herb for Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang, a formula used for Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian)
Tongue coating: Thick white coating
Recommended herbal formula: Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang
Symptoms: Nausea Headaches Dizziness Weight loss Shortness of breath Chills without sweating Reduced range of motion in the affected joints Swollen and painful joints that are warm to the touch and worsen at night
Psoriatic arthritis might be due to Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as swollen and painful joints that are warm to the touch and worsen at night, reduced range of motion in the affected joints, chills without sweating and weight loss. Similarly, patients with Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp typically exhibit slippery (Hua) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a tongue with thick white coating.
Read more about Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp here
The top herbs in Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang are Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi), Ephedra (Ma Huang) and Prepared Aconite (Zhi Fu Zi)
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Key actions: Clears Heat and inflammations. Unblocks the flow of Yang Qi and promotes movement (in areas with painful obstruction). Clears Wind and Damp. Relieves pain.
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp, a pattern sometimes associated with psoriatic arthritis. If it looks like you might suffer from Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).