Got warts? If you have had difficulty getting rid of flat warts, then you may want to consider acupuncture. A new study published in the International Journal of Dermatology reports that acupuncture was able to eliminate warts in 53% of patients compared with only 3.5% of patients who used a topical ointment called tretinoin.
Flat warts (verruca plana) are a common type of wart that occur mainly among children and adolescents. These warts, like other types of warts, are skin infections caused by viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family.
Flat warts are about the size of a pinhead, have flat tops, and are smoother than other kinds of warts. These warts typically appear on the face, but can also grow on arms, hands, and knees, and may be light brown, yellow, or pink.
The acupuncture study
In a randomized, single-blinded study, 60 individuals with flat warts were assigned to one of two groups: 30 used a topical ointment of 0.1% tretinoin (known under several names such as Retin-A, Avita, Refissa) daily for 10 weeks and 30 underwent one auricular (ear) acupuncture treatment per week for 10 weeks.
After six months, only one patient (1 of 30, or 3.33%) in the tretinoin group had recovered completely from flat warts with no recurrence, compared with 16 patients (53.33%) in the acupuncture group.
Treating warts with acupuncture
According to licensed acupuncturist Kevin Clark, Dipl. OM, of KC Acupuncture in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, acupuncture is often used to treat warts. His “first inclination,” he noted in recent correspondence with this author, would be to use an acupuncture method called “Surround the Dragon,” which, he explained, “is just a fancy translated name for needling in a circle around the affected area.”
Surround the Dragon is a method often used to address different types of skin conditions, such as growths, scars, and eczema, said Clark.
When it comes to flat warts, Clark noted that “I would also give the patient a Chinese herbal formula to take home which may be used externally as well.” Clark believes that “when combined with acupuncture, herbs can exponentially increase the efficacy of treatment.”
Flat warts tend to remain small, but they can appear in clusters and be quite numerous. Scratching or shaving can cause the warts to spread to other parts of the body.
Along with topical tretinoin or salicylic acid, other conventional treatments may include freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery), burning with an electric needle (electrocautery), and laser. For a natural approach, however, acupuncture may eliminate flat warts.
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