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Psoriasis and the Dead Sea

Dead Sea Psoriasis Therapy is a medically proven and effective management strategy for Psoriasis sufferers.

This therapy is medically proven to reduce all types of psoriasis, including plaque psorasis and arthritic psoriasis. It is so effective that the Danish, German and Israeli Governments have funded patients to attend the Dead sea for psoriasis treatment over the last 30 years. It is one of the best-kept secrets of the medical world. The Dead Sea therapy is an effective management strategy for Psorasis sufferers. A cure for Psoriasis has not been developed and there are numerous drugs and treatments prescribed by dermatologists. However, this natural therapy has real clinical impact on psoriasis, combining both natural UVB and Balneotherapy to provide a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

Why does it work?

There are 3 factors that come together in the Dead Sea: Sun, Sea and Climate. The Sun (Heliotherapy) Controlled exposure to the sun has long been a treatment for skin conditions. The Dead Sea has its own unique micro-climate; it is over 400 metres below sea level and the haze created by the evaporation of the Dead Sea means the sun’s harmful rays penetrate more slowly. The Sea (Balneotherapy) Bathing in the Dead Sea increases the effectiveness of sunbathing. Floating in the mineral rich waters twice a day has been shown to reduce Psoriasis coverage when it is combined with sunbathing, studies have show a dramatic impact on Plaque and Arthritic Psoriasis. The Climate (Climatotherapy) The air in the Dead Sea is Oxygen rich and has a high concentration of Bromide (a sedative) which increases the relaxing effect of giving your skin a holiday. The Dead Sea Research Centre is an internationally renowned research institution in the treatment of psoriasis. They summarise the medical benefits of Dead Sea therapy as: To be at least as effective as other treatment modalities both in terms of disappearance of lesions and duration of remission. The overall UV radiation dose to which the patient is exposed is markedly smaller than in any artificial treatment modality.

That the unique conditions present at the Dead Sea enable adequate sun exposure containing the specific healing range of UV radiation while the more damaging solar rays are strongly attenuated by natural filtration. That recurrences are usually less severe than the previous attack. That the relaxed environment facilitates social interaction and psychological encouragement No corticosteroids or cytotoxic medications are required To be more cost effective than many other treatments In 2012 the article “Scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of dead sea treatments: a systematic review”[1] reviewed a total of 360 research papers on psoriasis and the Dead Sea. They concluded that: There is evidence that Dead Sea water balneotherapy together with Dead Sea phototherapy is an effective treatment for several types of

psoriasis. There is also evidence that Dead Sea water balneotherapy has an additive benefit over the better known benefits of phototherapy. Similar benefits have been obtained using artificial Dead Sea water balneotherapy together with artificial phototherapy when compared to natural Dead Sea water balneotherapy and phototherapy […] Dead Sea water balneotherapy and phototherapy should be considered as a treatment for psoriasis due not only to its effectiveness but also to its safety profile, high patient satisfaction, and relatively low cost. The same review looked at the risks of the Dead Sea Therapy. They concluded that There was no evidence of an increase in skin cancer (melanoma) in the long term. They could not draw a clear conclusion on current evidence on non-melanoma skin neoplasia (non-cancerous skin damage).

Reference [1] Katz U, Shoenfeld Y, Zakin V, Sherer Y, Sukenik S (October 2012). “Scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of dead sea treatments: a systematic review”. Semin Arthritis Rheum 42 (2): 186–200. . . Another topical therapy used to treat psoriasis is a form of balneotherapy, which involves daily baths in the Dead Sea. This is usually done for four weeks with the benefit attributed to sun exposure. This is cost-effective and it has been propagated as an effective way to treat psoriasis without medication.[71] Decreases of PASI scores greater than 75% and remission for several months have commonly been observed.[71] Side-effects may be mild such as itchiness, folliculitis, sunburn, poikiloderma, and a theoretical risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer or melanoma has been suggested.[71] However, more recent studies have determined that there does not appear to be increased risk of melanoma in the long-term.[72] Data are inconclusive with respect to nonmelanoma skin cancer risk, but support the idea that the therapy is associated with an increased risk of benign forms of sun-induced skin damage such as, but not limited to, actinic elastosis or liver spots.[72] Dead Sea balneotherapy is also effective for psoriatic arthritis.[72]