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Is Acupuncture The Right Treatment For Lichen Planus?
Can acupuncture help Lichen Planus in the mouth. I have had this rare and seemingly untreatable disease for 6 yrs and been to every kind of doctor you can imagine I am really tired of not being able to eat and if you do it just gets worse. There are red raw lesions on both cheeks and are very painful. Can acupuncture help this?
Thu, 20 Apr 2017
Greetings from healthcare magic members,
I can understood your concern and reason of worry.
Oral lichen planus is a chronic condition and unfortunately there is no complete cure to this condition. The treatment primarily focuses on relieving the symptoms associated with painful lesions. Its unfortunate that you have tried different treatments but they didn't help in improving your condition and therefore, you want to know about acupuncture treatment.
However, the first line of treatment to lichen planus is self management which includes the following instructions:
1. Maintain good oral hygiene: Keep your teeth, gums and tongue clean. Gently brush your teeth after every meal and before you go to bed.
2. Avoid spicy, salty and acidic food and beverages
3. Avoid smoking, tobacco eating or alcohol or any irritant that interfere with healing of these lesions
4. Visit your dentist after every three months and get proper scaling/cleaning and polishing of teeth and gums.
5. Learn to manage stress- as stress can trigger these lesions
6. Take adequate sleep
The second line of treatment is symptomatic and may include corticosteroids creams, ointments, mouthwashes and certain topical anesthetic gels. If it doesn't help, you can try acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been used in Chinese practice for several years. It works by piercing specific areas of the body with fine needles to relieve pain, induce surgical anesthesia and for therapeutcs. The treatment removes certain toxins from the body and helps in faster healing by promoting blood circulation. However, it is mandatory that acupuncture is performed by licensed and authentic acupuncturist who is well trained. Also, make sure that the needles used for the treatment should be properly labeled, sealed and used only once. You may get infection if the needles are re-used or not sterile. Moreover, always inform about your complete medical and dental history to an acupuncturist.
Hope this answer helps. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Khoja
I can understood your concern and reason of worry.
Oral lichen planus is a chronic condition and unfortunately there is no complete cure to this condition. The treatment primarily focuses on relieving the symptoms associated with painful lesions. Its unfortunate that you have tried different treatments but they didn't help in improving your condition and therefore, you want to know about acupuncture treatment.
However, the first line of treatment to lichen planus is self management which includes the following instructions:
1. Maintain good oral hygiene: Keep your teeth, gums and tongue clean. Gently brush your teeth after every meal and before you go to bed.
2. Avoid spicy, salty and acidic food and beverages
3. Avoid smoking, tobacco eating or alcohol or any irritant that interfere with healing of these lesions
4. Visit your dentist after every three months and get proper scaling/cleaning and polishing of teeth and gums.
5. Learn to manage stress- as stress can trigger these lesions
6. Take adequate sleep
The second line of treatment is symptomatic and may include corticosteroids creams, ointments, mouthwashes and certain topical anesthetic gels. If it doesn't help, you can try acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been used in Chinese practice for several years. It works by piercing specific areas of the body with fine needles to relieve pain, induce surgical anesthesia and for therapeutcs. The treatment removes certain toxins from the body and helps in faster healing by promoting blood circulation. However, it is mandatory that acupuncture is performed by licensed and authentic acupuncturist who is well trained. Also, make sure that the needles used for the treatment should be properly labeled, sealed and used only once. You may get infection if the needles are re-used or not sterile. Moreover, always inform about your complete medical and dental history to an acupuncturist.
Hope this answer helps. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Khoja
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