Trad Integr Med, Volume 5, Issue 1, Winter 2020
Treatment of Chronic Acne by Persian Medicine (Temperament Modification plus Leech Therapy): A Case Report
H. Mohammadi Kenari, G. Kordafshari, M. Moghimi
Acne is a multifactorial disease that has a significant impact on the physical and psychological condition of patients, often leading to lower self-esteem and emotional stress. Modern medicine offers many methods of treating acne, but they are often burdened with side effects and provide short-term results. An article published in the journal “Traditional & Integrative Medicine” presents a case of the effective use of Persian medicine methods, including temperament modification and leech therapy, as a complementary approach to acne treatment.
Theoretical foundations and practice
According to Persian medicine, acne may result from disturbances in the functions of internal organs, which leads to the accumulation of metabolic waste carried out through the skin. Treatment is based on correcting the patient’s “temperament” (Mizaj), which includes dietary regulation, use of herbs, and physical interventions such as leech therapy.
Clinical case
We describe the case of a 25-year-old woman with long-term and severe acne that did not respond to standard pharmacological treatment, including antibiotics and isotretinoin. The patient complained of recurring acne lesions after the end of pharmaceutical therapy, as well as skin dryness and irritations as side effects of the drugs used.
Persian medicine interventions
Initial treatment focused on lifestyle modification, including regulating sleep, increasing physical activity, avoiding stress, and changing the diet (limiting sweets and fatty foods, introducing barley soup, plums and pomegranates into the diet). Additionally, the patient took an infusion of dried dates and thyme. After a month, a reduction in inflammation and improvement in the skin condition were noticed.
Leech therapy
After three months, despite improvement, local inflammatory lesions remained on the skin and did not subside. Leech therapy was then used by placing two small leeches behind the patient’s ear, which contributed to the eventual disappearance of acne symptoms.
Summary and Conclusions
Persian medicine offers a unique approach to treating acne by integrating dietary and lifestyle modifications with local interventions such as leech therapy, which can be a valuable addition to conventional treatments. It may be valuable to further explore this approach to fully realize its potential in combination with conventional therapies.