Arthritis psoriasis, also known as psoriatic arthritis, is a disease with both inflammation of the joints and the skin. Psoriasis is characterized by raised, patchy areas of skin that are red and scaly. Inflammatory arthritis develops in around ten percent of the people who have psoriasis. When this occurs, arthritis psoriasis is diagnosed.

The psoriasis usually, around 80% of the time, occurs first in cases of psoriatic arthritis. Only 5% of the time do the two conditions begin at the same time. The time between onset of the two conditions can range from months to years.

Both women and men, usually in their forties and fifties, can get arthritis psoriasis. There is no known cause of arthritis psoriasis. At this time there is no cure but there are a wide variety of treatments.

Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body. The scalp, knees, and elbows are three of the most common areas affected by psoriasis. Arthritis causes joints to inflame and become swollen, hot, painful, and red. The hip, knees, ankles, and wrists are some of the most affected joints with arthritis psoriasis.

A variety of medications exist to control the inflammation. Your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), immuno-suppressant medications, or TNF-alpha inhibitors. For severe cases of psoriatic arthritis, immuno-supressent medications or TNF-alpha inhibitors may be prescribed. Both are effective but can cause damaging side effects.

Corticosteroids are useful for mild cases of arthritis psoriasis. These can be taken orally or injected into the joint. They can have serious side effects and are not prescribed long term. NSAIDs are another drug that should be used on a short term basis. These can be over-the-counter, like aspirin, or be prescribed by your doctor. DMARDs can take months to work, but they can limit joint damage. They may be prescribed with a pain reliever.

Arthritis psoriasis is a painful condition that can affect your quality of life. Although there are a variety of treatments, many of them contain side effects. Because of this, discuss all of your options with your doctor. New and more effective treatments are always being developed.