Q. Has anyone come up with a natural method for treating psoriasis? I started with a little patch on

Q. Has anyone come up with a natural method for treating psoriasis? I started with a little patch on my leg, and it has spread to many parts of my body. The scales itch and are ugly. They really bother me.

I was prescribed betamethasone ointment that doesn’t help that much. I hope there is some natural cure.

A. Psoriasis is a chronic condition in which the immune system attacks the skin and leads to rapid skin-cell turnover. This is what creates the red patches and silvery scales of psoriasis, and it also explains why “cures” are elusive. Most treatments must be maintained to be helpful.

Dermatologists often prescribe topical cortisonelike drugs to dampen the immune response and ease inflammation. That’s what betamethasone is.

Many readers have found natural approaches that help their condition. Some report that sunlight and salt water are beneficial. Light therapy is often used to treat psoriasis in the clinic (Dermatologic Clinics, January 2015).

Inexpensive topical glycerin has helped some patients, perhaps because it has moisturizing properties (Acta Derma-Veneraologica online, June 28, 2016). Research shows that glycerol improves skin-cell maturation, so that also may help explain its benefit (Journal of Investigative Dermatology, December 2003).

Other readers have found that ingesting the active ingredient curcumin from the yellow spice turmeric can ease the redness and itching from psoriasis. We also have received reports that eating the herb cilantro can help chase plaques away.

Q. Numbness and tingling in my feet has been increasing rapidly for the past few months. I have had diabetes for more than 12 years. My blood-glucose level has been under control, and the A1C has consistently been around 5.5.

The neuropathy started before I was even diagnosed with diabetes. I heard one of your radio listeners claim he got rid of it by taking curcumin. It has not helped me after a month. I would like to know what other remedies your listeners have tried or used successfully.

I have been taking alpha-lipoic acid and Neurontin for years. My goal is to arrest its progression. I am terrified, as my mother became paralyzed from the waist down with neuropathy that began in the feet due to diabetes.

A. You might want to add benfotiamine to your regimen. This variant of the B vitamin thiamine prevents damage to blood vessels (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, December 2015). It also has shown promise against neuropathy (Pharmacological Research, June 2010).

You also might want to consider topical capsaicin, which can sometimes be helpful for easing nerve pain caused by diabetes (Journal of Pain online, Oct. 13, 2016).

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or email them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”

2016 King Features Syndicate Inc.