How to Make Psoriasis Go Away Fast

What is Psoriasis?

A chronic autoimmune condition, Psoriasis will manifest itself as thick scaly patches on your skin. It’s genetic, not contagious, and unsightly – sometimes itchy. And that was it, or so I thought.

I was first diagnosed with psoriasis in my late twenties. I had noticed a persistent “rash” on my legs, below the knee. Finally, I decided to get it looked at. As it turned out, I had psoriasis.

The doctor gave me a steroid spray that I could use on the affected areas – which would help alleviate the itching, and perhaps diminish the “plaques” as he called them. It didn’t work all that well, and I stopped using it after a few months.

As the years went on, the psoriasis was getting worse. Now, in my early thirties, it was no longer relegated to staying below my knees; appearing on my abdomen and arms as well.

It was around this time, in 2017, that we started planning much of the Wild West Trail and the upcoming hike. I also started to notice soreness behind my knee. It was slight at first, though after a long day of working on my feet – bartending and working a food truck – the soreness increased.

Natural Remedy For Psoriasis

I let it go on for months, and as the hike approached I became more concerned. After all, you need your knees on a hike. I went on WebMD and convinced myself that I had either a blood clot or bone cancer. I decided to go to a doctor.

It turned out that I had a form of arthritis commonly associated with psoriasis, called psoriatic arthritis.

No cancer! But there was no cure – or so I was told.

Can Psoriatic Arthritis Go Away?

The answer is Yes. While there is no ‘cure’, it can go into remission. I know this to be true because mine went away.

My hike lasted 115 days, but my psoriasis was in complete remission by the end of the first two weeks.

By complete remission I mean there were no visible plaques anywhere on my body, and the accompanying arthritis was completely gone as well.

This had reversed years of psoriatic buildup on my skin, and months of joint pain behind my knee.

I had stumbled (pun intended) upon a truly effective treatment option: walking!

Does Sweating Make Psoriasis Worse?

No, it does not.

On the hike I was sweating like a madman, and my psoriasis only got better. If the sweat was a hindrance, it was overpowered by the physical exercise which created the sweat in the first place.

If you want to get rid of your psoriasis you need to get active! Hiking is one of the best ways to be active, and thru-hiking is even better.

The Wild West Trail WILL put your psoriasis into remission if you are so inclined.

Safest Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

Have you seen the commercials for prescription medications related to psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis? Pay attention to the list of possible side effects: hair loss, aggressive thoughts, changes in mood or behavior, liver damage, loss of vision, suicidal thoughts, trouble speaking, yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, just to name a few.

Yes you want to get rid of your psoriasis, but at what cost?!

Hiking, or extreme exercise, is the safest treatment for both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I am basing this solely on personal experience, with no scientific or medical background.

If you consider my case along with what is known in the scientific literature (about the positive effects of exercise on autoimmune conditions, and psoriasis in particular), you can perhaps begin to realize that it’s not such a crazy proposition. After all, we evolved to walk – and what a treat it is! Standing up on two legs and being able to walk for miles at a time is an evolutionary advantage – and perhaps a biological necessity – that most Americans don’t put to use nearly enough.

I sincerely believe that if you rest, you rust. If you don’t push your body, it will wither away. There is something about the simple act of walking – albeit with a pack on for miles at a time – that made my psoriasis and accompanying arthritis go into complete remission.

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Author: @carmenrao

In 2018 we filmed our time on the Wild West Trail | This article is based on that experience | Videos from that hike can be found HERE