Psoriasis Treatment at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota and related reviews

Psoriasis Kim Kardashian
Via www.sheknows.com
Psoriasis is a common skin problem and even rich and famous celebrities do have the same problem as well.

As a trained medical professional, I have been worried with all those psoriasis self-care stuff on the internet. With tons of low quality self-help e-books out there on psoriasis treatment, I am not surprised if you are confused and over-whelmed with information or rather mis-information i.e. recommendations from Facebook friends, neighbors, emails, forum recommendations, search engine results etc.

Before you know what is the best psoriasis treatment for you, you may wish to go through the following sites to have a better understanding on your condition. You need to be selective with where you are getting the information on the internet and read more about psoriasis treatment from credible websites.

Here are the recommended links –

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/psoriasis.html
Alexa ranking (under Health category): No. 1

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/
Alexa ranking (under Health category): No.2




Why psoriasis treatment at Mayo Clinic?

We have shortlisted Mayo Clinic based on the US News and World report and Mayo Clinic ranks no.1. as the overall best hospital - http://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-hospitals/articles/2014/07/15/best-hospitals-2014-15-overview-and-honor-roll

However, please take note that the hospital no. 1 ranking alone may not be truly reflective of all the specialists' clinical performance. There are other factors to consider such as the doctor's skills, experience, training and also independent reviews from previous patients.

Although most of the information comes from the Mayo Clinic, we have tried to summarize relevant and practical information on psoriasis treatment in Mayo Clinic Main Campus in one place for your convenience.


You'll likely first see your family doctor or a general practitioner for your psoriasis treatment. In some cases especially if your psoriasis is getting worse, you may be referred to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist).

Psoriasis Treatment at Mayo Clinic


Mayo Clinic offers all psoriasis treatments: topical creams and ointments, light therapy, medications, and the Goeckerman treatment (offered at Mayo's Minnesota location). Treatments may be combined to increase effectiveness or decrease side effects.

Goeckerman treatment

The Goeckerman treatment is named after a Mayo Clinic dermatologist who developed this treatment in 1925. The Goeckerman treatment is appropriate for most individuals with moderate to severe psoriasis. While it is time-consuming, taking approximately three weeks, it has a long track record of effectiveness with few side effects. It also is cost-effective compared with the cost of other treatments.
Treatment involves daily ultraviolet light exposure and application of coal tar. In the past, people were treated in the hospital. Today, they are treated in an outpatient setting. The procedure is as follows:
  • Tar. Three times a day, a nurse will apply crude coal tar, a black substance in a petrolatum base, to your entire body except your neck and head. This therapy makes the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Although the tar feels cool and soothing, it's also messy and staining, so you will be given special clothing to wear during the day.
  • Oiling. Any excess tar is removed using a gauze cloth and vegetable oil. This allows the ultraviolet light to penetrate better.
  • Ultraviolet (UV) light. You will receive light treatment once a day for an increasing length of time. The UV light helps slow the rapid growth of skin cells. You will lie on a bed while the ultraviolet light is administered.
  • Tub bath. You will soak in a tub for 20 to 30 minutes every day. Tar is reapplied after bathing.
  • Shampoo and scalp. Your hair and scalp also will be treated and shampooed daily.
Two Mayo studies reviewed long-term results of the Goeckerman treatment at Mayo Clinic (over a 21-year period in children and over six decades for adults). Researchers found that 85 percent of people had a clearing (remission) of 80 percent or more of their psoriasis with the Goeckerman treatment. The average length of the remission was 2.6 years in children and about 1.7 years in adults, with some remissions lasting longer than 10 years. The only significant side effect of the treatment seems to be infection of hair follicles, which is treatable with a topical solution.

Dermatologists at Mayo Clinic Main Campus, Rochester

Specialists in dermatology treat psoriasis in adults and children. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is the only Mayo location to offer the Goeckerman treatment, combining ultraviolet (UV) light treatment and coal tar treatment, for moderate to severe psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is treated by rheumatologists.
You may make an appointment in the Department of Dermatology in the following ways:
  • Phone the Dermatology appointment office at: 507-284-2536
    8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.
  • Ask your local physician to refer you and arrange your appointment. The Referring Physician number is 800-533-1564 (toll-free).
List of Clinical Dermatologists at Mayo Clinic Main Campus:

Clinical Dermatology

Mayo Clinic Main Campus Location and Address

  • 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
About Mayo Clinic Main Campus

Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus and Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus form an integrated medical center dedicated to providing comprehensive diagnosis and treatment in virtually every medical and surgical specialty.

Mayo Clinic campus

The Mayo Building and Gonda Building are the heart of the downtown campus. Most of the doctor's offices and examination rooms, as well as some testing areas, are located in these buildings.
The Hilton Building and Stabile Building house most of Mayo's clinical laboratories. The Siebens Building is the center for education activities and the Guggenheim and Medical Sciences buildings are dedicated to research laboratories. The Baldwin Building is the primary care center for local residents. Overall, Mayo's extended downtown campus
comprises about 30 buildings and 5 parking ramps.

Mayo Clinic hospital campuses

Mayo Clinic patients who need hospital care are cared for in one of two Mayo-owned hospital campuses in Rochester:


The hospital campuses serve only Mayo Clinic patients and are staffed exclusively by Mayo Clinic doctors.


Consumer Reviews on Psoriasis Treatment

We sifted through the reviews on the internet and found relevant and related reviews for psoriasis treatment. 

Quick note on the reviews - Please take note that while everyone seems to be dishing out their own ‘expert’ advice in forums, be aware that most of the members are sharing their own experiences and opinions. Their suggestions and recommendations may or may not be applicable to you.

In no particular order, here’s some of them:

From DailyStrength.org
A long list of psoriasis treatments with review from the members of the psoriasis support group -
http://www.dailystrength.org/treatments/support-groups/Psoriasis

From Topix.com
A long list of forum discussion threads on psoriasis. Be careful. Some of them are commercially bias.
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/psoriasis

To find other major clinical specialists at Mayo Clinic: Clinical Specialists at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Please feel free to share this to your friends with Psoriasis.

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