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Complementary therapies for patients with systemic sclerosis
Kimberly Showalter1,2, Aileen Hoffmann1, Nicole DeCredico1
1Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders
|April 6, 2022
Summary
Patients with systemic sclerosis may benefit from complementary therapies like vitamins D and E, probiotics, and acupuncture. Further research is needed to confirm these findings for systemic sclerosis (SSc) care.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Integrative Medicine
- Clinical Nutrition
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
- Patients frequently explore complementary and nutrition-based therapies for symptom management.
- Evidence for these therapies in SSc is often limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current data on complementary therapies for systemic sclerosis.
- To summarize potential benefits of nutrition-based interventions.
- To provide recommendations for SSc patient care.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing studies.
- Analysis of data on vitamins, probiotics, turmeric, and other supplements.
- Inclusion of mind-body and physical therapies like acupuncture and biofeedback.
Main Results:
- Vitamins D and E, probiotics, turmeric, l-arginine, essential fatty acids, broccoli, biofeedback, and acupuncture show potential benefits.
- Limited large-scale randomized clinical trials exist for these interventions in SSc.
- Current data suggests a possible role for these therapies in managing SSc.
Conclusions:
- Complementary and nutrition-based therapies warrant consideration in systemic sclerosis management.
- Further high-quality clinical trials are necessary to validate efficacy and safety.
- Recommendations are provided for integrating these therapies into SSc care.
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