Role of Therapeutic Fasting along with Other Naturopathy and Yoga Modalities in Addressing Acne Vulgaris – A Single Case Report

Document Type : Case Report

Authors

1 Medical Officer, Nisargopachar Ashram,Urulikanchan Pune, India

2 Department of Intramural Research, National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India

Abstract

A 23 year old female diagnosed as acne vulgaris underwent Therapeutic fasting (TF) and other naturopathy and yoga modalities for 30 days. She presented with eruptions all over her face and the face was edematous. She was given a modified diet for initial 3 days which included fresh fruits and juices along with cooked vegetables and sorghum roti. Additionally Naturopathy treatments like Swedish massage, steam bath, warm water enema and hip bath were given along with some yogic postures, pranayam and kriyas (Cleansing procedures). The patient responded well to the therapeutic fasting. By the end of 30 days there were no eruptions in her face and her skin also was clear. All the treatments were based on the principle of naturopathic medicine that the body has its own power to heal itself. TF has shown to attenuate inflammatory status of the body by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and decreasing body fat and circulating levels of leukocytes. This is the first study to report the non pharmacological approach towards treating acne. To conclude fasting along with other naturopathy and yoga modalities has shown noteworthy changes in reducing the inflammatory response in acne vulgaris. However large scale studies are warranted.

Keywords


  1.  Simpson NB, Cunliffe WJ. Disorders of the sebaceous glands. In: Burns T, Breathnach S, Cox N, Griffiths C, editors. Textbook of dermatology. 7th ed. New Jersey: Blackwell Science; 2004. P. 43-75.
  2. Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, Alikhan A, Baldwin HE, Berson DS, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016; 74:945-73.
  3. Leyden JJ. New understanding of the pathogenesis of acne. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995; 32(5):S15-25.
  4. Frass M, Strassl RP, Friehs H, Müllner M, Kundi M, Kaye AD. Use and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine among the general population and medical personnel: a systematic review. Ochsner J. 2012; 12(1):45-56.
  5. World Health Organization. International classification of disease. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.
  6. Mayer A, Indea AY. Yoga for skin diseases. India: Aananda Yoga Indea; 2013.
  7. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Bennett JM, Andridge R, Peng J, Shapiro CL, Malarkey WB, et al. Yoga’s impact on inflammation, mood, and fatigue in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2014; 32(10):1040-9.
  8. Nair PM, Nanda A. Naturopathic medicine in India. Focus Altern Complement Ther. 2014; 19(3):140-7.
  9. Nair PM, Mohanty S. Knowledge, attitude and practice of therapeutic fasting among naturopathy physicians: a cross sectional national survey. J Fasting Health. 2015; 3(4):177-82.
  10. Wilhelmi de Toledo F, Buchinger A, Burggrabe H, Hölz G, Kuhn C, Lischka E, et al. Fasting therapy-an expert panel update of the 2002 consensus guidelines. Forsch Komplementmed. 2013; 20(6):434-43.
  11. Faris MA, Kacimi S, Al-Kurd RA, Fararjeh MA, Bustanji YK, Mohammad MK, et al. Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects. Nutr Res. 2012; 32(12):947-55.
  12. Dhananjay A, Jincy S, Raghuraj P. Critical review on trends in hydrotherapy research. Int J Naturop Med. 2012; 6:693-6.
  13. Goats GC. Massage-the scientific basis of an ancient art: part 2. Physiological and therapeutic effects. Br J Sports Med. 1994; 28(3):153-6.
  14. Matz H, Orion E, Wolf R. Balneotherapy in dermatology. Dermatol Ther. 2003; 16(2):132-40.
  15. Sharma PV. Charaka Samhita; Agnivesha's treatise refined and annotated by Charaka and redacted by Drudhbala (text with English translation). Jaikrishnadas Ayurveda Series. 2011; 4(36):85-7.
  16. Kulkarni M, Keny D, Potey AV, Tripathi RK. A cross-sectional study to assess the incompatible dietary behavior of patients suffering from skin diseases: a pilot study. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2016; 7(2):113-8.
  17. Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, Mäkeläinen H, Varigos GA. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007; 86(1):107-15.
  18. Webster GF. Acne vulgaris. BMJ. 2002; 325
    (7362):475-9.