Page 45 - Fall2010

SKIN PROBLEMS: AN ANTHROPOSOPHICAL VIEW

Anthroposophical medicine is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian mystic and philosopher. Ac-
cording to Steiner, health comes about through a balanced rhythmical activity or movement between what he called
the nerve-sense pole and the metabolic pole. The two main skin conditions—dermatitis and psoriasis—represent
these polar opposites, the former manifesting as an over-reaction of the nerves and the latter manifesting as an over-
reaction of the blood or metabolism.
Dermatitis—also called neurodermatitis, eczema or atopic dermatitis—refers to reactions that present as skin
inflammation, often accompanied by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes, hay
fever, allergic conjunctivitis and asthma.
Skin with a tendency to neurodermatitis is dry and often sallow and dull. Water is not well retained in the skin, the
sebaceous glands produce less sebum and the sweat glands less sweat, symptoms, “suggesting a loss of constructive
powers in the skin.” Sweating induced by heavy work, as well as baths and showers, may cause itching, as does wool
clothing.
Normally the skin, with its careful balance of nerve and blood, reacts to these stimulants by increasing blood
flow, making it warm. But the skin of people with a tendency to develop neurodermatitis will react one-sidedly in the
nerves, that is, with itching. Sufferers may be extremely sensitive to nickel and compounds in cosmetics and skin care
products.
Normal skin produces a red line in reaction to a blunt fingernail across the skin; but those with neurodermatitis
produce a white line, a sign of the nerves overreacting. Nerves supplying the musculature of blood vessels in the skin
cause the muscle fibers to contract; the vessels narrow and a narrow line on either side of the line made by the nail
has less blood supplied to it. This causes the skin to turn white.
People who suffer from neurodermatitis tend to be “nervy” and hyperactive. The skin is excessively awake and
overreacts, leading to inflammation. Reduced circulation in the hands and feet—cold hands and feet—and inability
to tolerate bright sunlight are common in those with a tendency to neurodermatitis.
It is often intelligent people who tend to develop neurodermatitis. Their neurosensory system has been wide awake
from birth, and so they have taken in much of the world around them. This has helped their powers of observation and
thought from the beginning. . . This kind of intelligence does, however, quite often tend to be somewhat one-sided.
The emphasis is on the head, the intellect, tending to be very much of this world, and one-sidedly reacting rapidly to
sensory perceptions. yet their own bodies are often felt to be something foreign.
An inner life where the emphasis is on the head can lead to brooding too much about oneself and strict self-
control. They may be interested in computers and technology—children with dermatitis often benefit from art, dance
and outdoor activities that get them away from the computer. Those who suffer from neurodermatitis tend to be tall
and thin and to have a weak digestion.
Those with psoriasis tend to have an overactive metabolism. Under the microscope, a skin sample from a psoriatic
lesion shows greatly elongated papillae in the upper dermis, with the extended capillaries filled to the limit with blood.
Blood serum seeps from the capillaries; the dermis is filled with inflammatory cells, which migrate to the epidermis
and collect in tiny lakes of pus. The horn cells mature too quickly and incompletely, completing their cycle in three or
four days instead of the normal twenty-eight. The most common psoriatic lesion is a sharply defined and thickened
red plaque in the front part of the knees and on the elbows—exactly the opposite position of the typical atopic rash,
which develops in the inner side of the joint.
People suffering from psoriasis often show other irregularities in metabolism, such as elevated levels of uric acid,
blood lipids and blood sugar. They tend to be sturdily built, with a tendency to put on weight. Psoriasis patients have
double the risk of vascular disease compared to those without the disease (Archives of Dermatology, June 2009). They
are tolerant, sociable and able to cope with mental stress, highly active with a tendency to impatience, often success-
ful in their occupation. “Anything they do succeeds, and as soon as it is done they move on to the next thing, literally
eager to move on.”
John Updike the American writer, suffered from psoriasis. He devoted a whole forty pages in his memoirs to a
description of his condition. His creativity and relentless desire to produce, he said, was nothing but a parody of the
painful overproduction in his skin.
Adapted from Healing the Skin: Holistic Approaches to Treating Skin Conditions. A practical guide based on anthropo-
sophic medicine, by Leuder Jachens.

FALL 2010 Wise Traditions 45