Psoriatic Arthritis: The Cause, The Symptoms, and The Treatment

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of chronic inflammatory arthritis that affects at least 5% of people suffering from psoriasis.  The chances of a psoriasis sufferer getting psoriatic arthritis depend on three factors, (1) the severity of psoriasis, (2) the type of psoriasis, and (3) their age. 

  1. People with extensive skin involvement are more likely to suffer from psoriatic arthritis than those whose psoriasis is limited to certain areas of their body. 
  2. People with pustular psoriasis are more likely to suffer from psoriatic arthritis than those with other forms of psoriasis. 
  3. And finally, psoriatic arthritis usually occurs in the 4th or 5th decade of life, month or years after the initial flare up of psoriasis. 

An exception to the factors listed above is juvenile psoriatic arthritis.  Juvenile psoriatic arthritis accounts for 8 to 20% of childhood arthritis and usually affects children ages 10 and below.   Children suffering from juvenile psoriatic arthritis would sometimes have arthritis first before the psoriasis appears, or they can happen at the same time. 

Psoriatic arthritis has a lot of symptoms similar with other forms of arthritis. These symptoms include:

  • joints in the hands and feet
  • Joint stiffness in the morning or during cold weather. 
  • Joint inflammation in the lower back causing pain in the buttocks, back and legs
  • Inflammation of the tendons
  • Inflammation of internal organs like the lungs, heart and eyes which could lead to tissue damage
  • Skin and fingernail changes like acne or nail pitting.

The similarities of symptoms between psoriatic arthritis and other forms of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis and gout is what makes it difficult to definitively diagnose psoriatic arthritis.  Until now, there are no tests that can diagnose for this disease.  The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is based mainly on clinical grounds, meaning if a person has psoriasis and arthritis then he or she has psoriatic arthritis.

The exact cause of psoriatic arthritis is just as clear as the diagnostic process for this disease.  Studies have shown that there are several factors seem to affect the development of psoriatic arthritis. 

  • Genetics or heredity.  If you have a first degree relative that has psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, there’s a 40% chance that you could also get the disease.
  • Infections.  Psoriasis patients with Streptococcal and HIV infections are more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis than those who don’t.
  • Physical trauma.  Psoriasis patients who experienced physical trauma are at greater risk of developing psoriatic arthritis.
  • Immunological.  There’s evidence that suggest that psoriatic arthritis may be an autoimmune disease.

There’s no cure for psoriatic arthritis but the symptoms can be treated and controlled.  Psoriatic arthritis treatment usually involves a combination of medication, physical therapy, diet and sometimes, surgery.  The initial goal of psoriatic arthritis treatment is to control the inflammation in the body in order to reduce or avoid the more serious symptoms like pain and damage to the internal organs.  The treatment plan for psoriatic arthritis usually involves:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are often prescribed to help reduce inflammation, stiffness, and pain in the joints, tendons, and internal organs like the eyes and lungs.  If NSAIDS don’t work, more potent anti-rheumatic drugs such as methotrexate and corticosteroids can be prescribed.
  • Physical therapy and exercise are needed in order to help manage the pain, strengthen the muscles, maintain and improve range of motion of the joints affected by arthritis.
  • An anti-inflammatory diet can also be prescribed to help limit the intake of foods that contribute to joint and tendon inflammation like meat, salt, sugar, and processed foods.
  • Surgery may be required in severe cases of psoriatic arthritis where permanent joint damage has occurred. 

Psoriatic arthritis seems to be affected by the severity and frequency of psoriasis flare up.  Effectively treating your psoriasis can help control the symptoms of your arthritis.  In fact, treating your psoriasis early on can help prevent psoriatic arthritis from happening.  Learning everything you can about your psoriasis and treating it right now can protect you from the excruciating pain and debilitating effects of psoriatic arthritis.

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