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Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a systemic immune condition that shows on the skin. We address inflammation, the gut, metabolic health, stress, and triggers.
What you may be noticing
Thick, raised, scaly plaques on your elbows, knees, scalp, or lower back. Itching or burning. Nail pitting or thickening. Flares after stress, illness, alcohol, or skin injury. You may feel self-conscious and tired of creams that only partly help.
Why it is rarely one thing
Psoriasis is not just a skin condition. It is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease in which immune signaling, especially the IL-23 and IL-17 pathways, drives skin cells to multiply far faster than normal. Because the inflammation is systemic, psoriasis is linked with psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and depression.
That systemic picture is why comprehensive care matters. Dermatology treatments, including biologic medications, can be very effective, and I never ask anyone to stop a prescribed medication. Alongside them, reducing the inflammatory drivers can support the skin and protect the rest of the body.
Known triggers include strep infections (especially for guttate psoriasis), skin injury, stress, alcohol, smoking, excess weight, and certain medications.
The skin and the nervous system are in close conversation. Sensory nerves in the skin release inflammatory signals of their own, and stress hormones can push the immune system toward a flare. I regard the brain as the master system of the body, so calming the nervous system is a practical part of calming the skin.
In my clinical model, every person also carries a toxic burden bucket of environmental chemicals, mold, infections, and stress. When it overflows, an already reactive immune system has less room to settle. Applying this model to psoriasis is a working hypothesis, and it shapes the order of care: regulation and drainage before anything intensive.
Patterns we look for
- Systemic inflammation and CRP.
- Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
- Fatty liver and bile flow.
- Gut microbiome balance and intestinal permeability.
- Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, which overlap with psoriasis in some people.
- Infection triggers, including strep.
- Alcohol and smoking.
- Vitamin D and omega-3 status.
- Stress, HPA axis output, and autonomic balance.
- Toxic burden at home: mold, fragrance, and household chemicals.
- Joint involvement and early psoriatic arthritis.
How I evaluate it
A comprehensive functional neurological exam assesses autonomic balance and stress physiology, which strongly influence psoriasis flares.
Functional labs may include inflammatory markers, fasting insulin and HbA1c, a lipid panel, liver enzymes, vitamin D, omega-3 index, celiac screening, and comprehensive stool analysis. Joint pain, morning stiffness, or swollen fingers or toes deserve rheumatology evaluation. Widespread redness of the skin with fever or chills needs urgent medical care.
How we address it
- Coordinate with your dermatologist on topical and systemic treatment.
- Calm the stress axis and support sleep, with daily nervous system regulation.
- Open drainage pathways, especially bowel, liver, and lymph, before any deeper detoxification.
- Reduce inflammatory load with an anti-inflammatory food pattern, fewer processed foods, and less alcohol.
- Restore insulin sensitivity and support the liver.
- Repair the gut and rebalance the microbiome through my gut healing sequence, testing gluten when indicated.
- Restore vitamin D and omega-3 status with targeted categories of support, and identify infection triggers.
Clearer skin can follow a calmer immune system, a lighter toxic load, and a healthier metabolism.
Book your Comprehensive Functional Medicine Eval/Neurological Exam today to discover what the contributing root causes are that are underlying your health concerns.