Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis. It affects about 1 million people in the United States, or 30% of people who have psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a red, scaly rash, most often on your elbows, knees, ankles, feet, and hands.

Causes of Psoriatic Arthritis #

Genes #

Having a parent with psoriasis triples your chance of getting psoriasis and makes you more likely to have psoriatic arthritis.

Infection #

An infection that sets off your immune system could be to blame. Psoriasis, for example, is often triggered by strep throat.

Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis #

• Swollen fingers and toes

• Foot pain

• Lower back pain

• Fatigue

• Swelling and pain around tendons

• Stiffness and tiredness in the morning

• Less range of motion

• Nail changes

• Eye redness and pain

• Scaly skin, especially on your knees, elbows, and scalp

Diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis #

• Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds

• Blood tests to rule out other kinds of arthritis and look for signs of inflammation

• Tests of the fluid from your joints or tiny samples of skin

Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis #

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) #

These are over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and naproxen.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) #

• These can slow or stop pain, swelling, and joint and tissue damage. If NSAIDs don’t work, your doctor will try DMARDs

• They may take longer to work.

Immunosuppressants #

• If you can’t take a DMARD, you might get a type of drug called an immunosuppressant.

• These drugs curb your immune system, which is what’s causing the problem in an autoimmune condition like PsA.

• But they can also make it more likely that you’ll get an infection.

UV light #

Therapy with UVA light can ease skin symptoms in people who have severe psoriasis. But it may also raise your chances of skin cancer.

Biologics #

If immune suppression doesn’t work, your doctor may prescribe a biologic. These are a newer type of DMARD. Rather than weaken your entire immune system, these medications block a protein that causes inflammation.

Enzyme inhibitor #

This works by blocking a certain enzyme, a kind of protein, called PDE-4. That helps slow other reactions that lead to inflammation.

Steroids #

• These can help control inflammation, but doctors don’t use them often for PsA because they can make your skin rash worse.

• Doctors prescribe steroids only when you really need them.

• If you use them for a long time, you could have serious side effects such as brittle bones, weight gain, hypertension, and diabetes.

Surgery #

A severely damaged joint can be replaced with a new one made from metal and plastic.