Author(s)

Anna Utterström, Solbritt Lonne-Rahm^*

Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic, pruritic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease that affects about two to three percent of the adult population in Sweden. It is characterized by dry, itchy skin and is aggravated by stress. This study examined if relaxation through movement and body awareness can reduce stress and eczema in patients with AD. Nine pa-tients with atopic dermatitis whose condition worsened due to stress were treated with a body balance relaxation method. Estimation of extent of skin lesions, pruritus, salivary cortisol, as an objective marker for chronic stress, and subjective stress, and DLQI, were performed. Of these parameters, the extent of skin lesions, pruritus, and the subjective stress were de-creased as well as chronic stress. This study indicated that relaxation using body balance reduced stress and eczema in patients with stress-related atopic dermatitis.

Atopic Dermatitis; Body Balance; Eczema; Relaxation; Stress.

Utterström, A. and Lonne-Rahm, S. (2009) Body balance reduces eczema in stress-related atopic dermatitis. Health, 1, 290-293. doi: 10.4236/health.2009.14047.