Psoriatic arthritis is an associate of psoriasis of the skin. Psoriasis causes scaly, red thick patches to form on the skin, although not everyone with psoriasis will develop the arthritis. Nevertheless, many individuals with psoriasis often develop this type of arthritis and if gone untreated this type of arthritis often leads to even more health problems. Most often psoriatic arthritis develops in the fingers and toes, although there is a possibility of it also influencing the spine. This is at this time no known prevention or cure for Psoriatic arthritis.
There are five forms of psoriatic arthritis:
- Distal Interphalangeal Predominant, that generally influences the last finger or toe joint.
- Asymmetrical Arthritis, which normally influences two or three different unpaired joints
- Symmetrical Polyarthritis, this type of arthritis normally comes in pairs on either side of the body.
- Psoriatic Spondyloarthritis or Spondylitis, which involves inflammation of the spine
- Arthritis Mutilans, which is a sever, flaring form of this type of arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis causes stiffness, pain and deterioration of the joints. Not everyone who has this disease, has psoriasis, however the majority do. Generally, psoriasis will develop about ten years before this type of crippling disease begins to show its damage of the joints. Although, there are cases of psoriatic arthritis that present psoriasis within months of, or years from getting psoriasis. One of the signs of this disease is the pitting of nails and even loss of nails, as well as the swelling and pain from this type of arthritis. It can develop in both young and old. While silvery, scaly splotches will develop on the scalp, elbow, and knees and along the spine.
Research has determined that psoriatic arthritis is hereditary, while more than fifty percent of all sufferers of Psoriatic arthritis have a family history of this type of arthritis. Interestingly, when twins are identical, it is very common for both to suffer from this type of arthritis when one or the other show signs of Psoriatic arthritis. This type of arthritis is distinctly different in its staging aspect of pain from other types of arthritis; this means you must begin treatments early while working closely with your physician and physical therapist.
Since everyone is different the treatments for this type of arthritis is streamlined around the symptoms of each individual. Treatments for psoriatic arthritis include reducing pain and inflammation of the joints while discouraging any further damage to the joints. Very often, the conditions of psoriasis are treated orally and topically, mostly with the use of antibiotics, while the symptoms of arthritis receive individual treatment, when you are dealing with this type of arthritis. Those who suffer from psoriasis do their best to prevent any infections that may cause skin irritation, to prevent more damage.
When being prescribed the medication for psoriatic arthritis you will need to know the name, dosage, as well as the administration and scheduling for your medication. You will want to know what advantages it offers as well as its side effects. You should also find out the amount of time the medication should take effect for pain relief and when to contact your physician in case the medication brings no relief. You will also need to consult with your physician about any other types of drugs or natural arthritis pain relief you may want to try, before doing so.
Arthritis Related Article
Coping with Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, its symptoms include, weakening the joints while diminishing the cartilage and bone lining. Osteoarthritis is very painful, seemingly overwhelming to the point of discouraging...
