Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a joint condition that occurs mainly due to the complications of psoriasis ( a chronic skin disorder with the appearance of raised, red, roughened patches covered by silvery shiny scales). Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also get psoriatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory joint disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and restrictive mobility.

This type of joint condition usually affects both men and women, in the ages of 30-50. It has been noticed that white people are more likely to get Psoriatic arthritis than black people.  It usually affects joints in an asymmetric manner but may sometimes also affect joints in a symmetric fashion, similar to rheumatoid arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis can be divided into 5 types mainly Asymmetric arthritis (it is the most common form of psoriatic arthritis where the joint inflammation in joints does not follow a typical pattern), Spondylitis (also called spondyloarthropathy and  involves inflammation in the joints between the spinal vertebrae), Symmetric arthritis (also called symmetric polyarthritis and involves inflammation in the same joints on both sides of the body), Distal interphalangeal predominant (DIP) arthritis (also called distal arthritis which occurs in the small joints of fingers and/or toes, usually affecting the joints closest to the fingernails and toenails) and Arthritis mutilans (a very rare type but devastating form of psoriatic arthritis that can destroy joints, especially of the hands, feet, back or neck ,resulting in deformity).

Common medications to treat psoriatic arthritis include Nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), Biologic response modifiers, Corticosteroids, as well as Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that slow the progress of the disease.  In severe cases surgery may be the only option for relief. Other remedies include exercises for joint mobility, proper diet intake, applying hot or cold compresses to the joints as well as exposure to warmer climatic conditions.