Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that happens to some individuals that suffer from the skin problem psoriasis. It affects the joints of the body similar to rheumatoid arthritis, usually in a milder way. Psoriatic arthritis symptoms are characteristic of both the problems with joints and skin, there can also be other psoriatic arthritis symptoms too. During this present time there is no known cure for psoriatic arthritis or even psoriasis, however, numerous treatments exist for helping with the symptoms. It must be remembered that it is a chronic disease and can lead to other complications in health if not managed appropriately.
Commonly psoriatic arthritis symptoms are confined to the end joints of the toes or fingers. It is noted that in about one fifth of cases there will be issues with the spine. Very severe joint destruction can occur with a rare type of psoriatic arthritis called 'psoriatic arthritis mutilans' which is focused on joints.
The skin condition called psoriasis presents as scaly and rough usually on the parts of the knees, elbows and scalp. The scaly areas are red or silvery gray in their color. Of the people who experience the skin condition psoriasis, which is approximately 30 million people in America, about 8 percent of them will experience psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
The condition is evenly distributed among men and women and usually occurs in the 3rd to 5th decade of life. There are a small percentage of sufferers whose will experience joint problems before the appearance of the skin condition. Usually the degree of psoriatic arthritis is mild and will limit itself to a few joints in the body.
There is no medical cure for psoriatic arthritis. The treatment approach is generally tailored to the individual's symptoms, to achieve the best treatment outcome. Due to the individual course of the disease it can be very different from person to person, such issues as remission and aggravating factors are important to take into consideration. Every person is different, and a treatment approach should be tailored to your individual needs.
Treatment focuses on reducing the psoriatic arthritis symptoms of inflamed joints, pain and further degeneration. An approach of almost treating two separate disorders, the arthritis and psoriasis, is often the best way to approach it. Topical and oral medications are used for the skin such as antibiotics. It is important to prevent secondary skin infection in people with psoriasis due to skin irritation. There is some discussion of UV light therapy, obtained naturally from the sun or artificially as being beneficial for the rash. It is certainly an avenue worth exploring.
The psoriatic arthritis symptoms of the joints are treated like any other forms of arthritis with aspirin, anti-arthritis drugs and other medications. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs as they are commonly referred to, are used to manage pain and swelling of the joints. There are a whole range of natural substances that have been shown to be helpful in inflammation. High doses of fish oil have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. The use of curcumin which is a derivative of the root turmeric has been showing good anti-inflammatory responses in the body, along with the long time used devils claw or cats claw herb.
