Just like psoriasis, PsA can range from mild to severe. Mild PsA is sometimes referred to as oligoarticular, meaning it affects four or fewer joints in the body. More severe PsA is often called polyarticular, meaning it affects five or more joints.
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis, a chronic skin and nail disease. Psoriasis causes red, scaly rashes and thick, pitted fingernails. Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in symptoms and joint swelling (inflammation). But it tends to affect fewer joints than RA.
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of the body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe.
Although there is no universally approved definition of moderate psoriatic arthritis (PsA), many clinicians see patients who they feel fit into this category: patients with limited joint involvement, but who might also show other manifestations of the disease, as well as a range of comorbidities.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and reduce inflammation for people with mild psoriatic arthritis. NSAIDs available without a prescription include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription.
Although psoriatic arthritis may range from mild to severe, it is important to treat it no matter the severity. If left untreated, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can cause permanent joint damage, which may be disabling.
Just like psoriasis, PsA can range from mild to severe. Mild PsA is sometimes referred to as oligoarticular, meaning it affects four or fewer joints in the body. More severe PsA is often called polyarticular, meaning it affects five or more joints.
The disease often appears between ages 30 and 50. For many people, it starts about 10 years after psoriasis develops, but some develop PsA first or without ever developing or noticing psoriasis.
Signs and symptoms
It most often starts in those aged 15 to 30, with psoriatic arthritis commonly developing between the ages of 25 and 50. However, both conditions can start at any age. In about one in five cases, joint problems are diagnosed before any obvious signs of psoriasis.
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are medications that work by tackling the underlying causes of the inflammation in your joints. They can help to ease your symptoms and slow the progression of psoriatic arthritis. The earlier you start taking a DMARD, the more effective it will be.
PsA is often undiagnosed and can be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), especially in a non-rheumatologic setting [7–9]. RA is a chronic inflammatory arthritis typified by pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints, particularly symmetric small-joint synovitis of the hands and feet [10].
Question: Is it possible to have PsA but no psoriasis symptoms? Answer: Yes, it is certainly possible to have PsA with no psoriasis/skin symptoms. For the majority of people with PsA, psoriasis precedes the onset of arthritic symptoms, but some people develop the skin disease after the onset of arthritis.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR or sed rate, is a blood test that measures inflammation in the body, which helps determine a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, explains Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, vice chair of rheumatology and director of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center at the Cleveland Clinic.
The Arthritis Foundation lists joint pain, stiffness, skin rashes, fatigue, nail changes, decreased range of motion, and swelling as some of the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. When you combine these problems, the results can be debilitating. “It's like feeling your bones shatter and crumble.
Getting psoriatic arthritis (PsA) under control and achieving remission is possible with currently available medications. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis that affects both skin and joints. It is treated with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics.
The majority of cases begin with the skin condition and then progress to joint pain within seven to 10 years.
Back pain from psoriatic arthritis can feel like an aching pain and increased pressure in your back from joint stiffness and inflammation that develops. Where does your back hurt with psoriatic arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis can occur anywhere along the spine, but is most common in the lumbar spine, or low back.
The skin symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include a rash, thick, red skin, or flaky, silver-white scaly patches, as in plaque psoriasis. The skin may itch and be painful. Up to 85% of people with PsA experience skin problems associated with psoriasis before having psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
Genes: Many people who get psoriatic arthritis have a family history of the disease, and researchers have identified some of the genes involved. Environment: Factors such as obesity, infection, injury, or stress may trigger the onset of the disease.
For many people who have psoriatic arthritis, waking up is not the highlight of the day. Joint pain and stiffness are often most severe in the mornings. Inflammatory activity can surge at night because of your body's circadian rhythms.
Not Enough Rest. Some studies show a link between poor sleep and worsening symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Lack of sleep and fatigue are linked to flare-ups. A lack of sleep also adds to your stress level, which can cause a flare since stress releases chemicals in your body that lead to inflammation.
Generally psoriatic arthritis is a mild condition. With proper treatment and help from others you can relieve joint pain and stiffness and keep skin problems under control. Some people however have a more serious disease and require combinations of medications to control symptoms and prevent joint damage.
Even so, the pain and discomfort associated with psoriatic arthritis can be significant. A study published in 2015 in the journal PLoS One found that the overall pain, joint pain, and fatigue reported by psoriatic arthritis patients was significantly greater than that reported by people with rheumatoid arthritis.
So, basically rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are very similar and treatments are generally the same. The biggest difference is the joints involved in the hands and feet and the fact that psoriatic arthritis also involves psoriasis of the skin which is a persistent chronic disease in itself.