What is psoriatic arthritis? Jude tells us about how the condition affects her and the things she’s done to help ease the symptoms she has.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that develops in some people with the skin condition psoriasis. It typically causes affected joints to become inflamed (swollen), stiff and painful.
Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis is a long-term condition that can get progressively worse. In severe cases, there’s a risk of the joints becoming permanently damaged or deformed, which may require surgical treatment.
However, with an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, it’s possible to slow down the progression of the condition and minimise or prevent permanent damage to the joints.
The pain, swelling and stiffness associated with psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint in the body, but the condition often affects the hands, feet, knees, neck, spine and elbows.
The severity of the condition can vary considerably from person to person. Some people may have severe problems affecting many joints, whereas others may only notice mild symptoms in one or two joints.
There may be times when your symptoms improve (known as remission) and periods when they get worse (known as flare-ups or relapses).
Relapses can be very difficult to predict, but can often be managed with medication when they do occur.
See your GP if you experience persistent pain, swelling or stiffness in your joints – even if you haven’t been diagnosed with psoriasis.
If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis, you should have check-ups at least once a year to monitor your condition. Make sure you let your doctor know if you’re experiencing any problems with your joints.
Between one and two in every five people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis.
It usually develops within 10 years of psoriasis being diagnosed, although some people may experience problems with their joints before they notice any symptoms affecting their skin.
Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis is thought to occur as a result of the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissue.
However, it’s not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis and others don’t.
If your doctor thinks you may have arthritis, they should refer you to a rheumatologist (a specialist in joint conditions) for an assessment.
The British Association of Dermatologists website has information on the psoriasis epidemiology screening tool (PEST) (PDF, 209kb). This is a questionnaire you may be asked to fill out, which helps your doctor decide if you need a referral. People with psoriasis should be asked to fill this out annually.
A rheumatologist will usually be able to diagnose psoriatic arthritis if you have psoriasis and problems with your joints.
They’ll also try to rule out other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
A number of tests may be carried out to help confirm a diagnosis, including:
blood tests to check for signs of inflammation in your body and the presence of certain antibodies found in other types of arthritis
X-rays or scans of your joints
The main aims of treatment will be to relieve your symptoms, slow the progression of the condition and improve your quality of life.
For most people, this involves trying a number of different medications, some of which can also treat the psoriasis. Ideally, you should take one medication to treat both your psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis whenever possible.
The main medications used to treat psoriatic arthritis are summarised below and include:
There’s not enough scientific evidence to say that complementary therapies, such as balneotherapy (bathing in water containing minerals), works in treating psoriatic arthritis.
There’s also not enough evidence to support taking any kind of food supplement as treatment.
Complementary therapies can sometimes react with other treatments, so talk to your GP, specialist or pharmacist if you’re thinking of using any.
As with psoriasis and other types of inflammatory arthritis, you may be more likely to get some other conditions – such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) – if you have psoriatic arthritis. CVD is the term for conditions of the heart or blood vessels, such as heart disease and stroke.
Your doctor should carry out tests each year (such as blood pressure and cholesterol tests) so they can check whether you have CVD and offer additional treatment, if necessary.
You can also help yourself by:
having a good balance between rest and regular physical activity
losing weight, if you are overweight
not smoking
only drinking moderate amounts of alcohol
As well as your GP and a rheumatologist, you may also be cared for by:
a specialist nurse – who will often be your first point of contact with your specialist care team
a dermatologist (skin specialist) – who will be responsible for treating your psoriasis symptoms
a physiotherapist – who can devise an exercise plan to keep your joints mobile
an occupational therapist – who can identify any problems you have in everyday activities and find ways to overcome or manage these
a psychologist – who can offer psychological support if you need it
Here are top 5 high-impact exercises to strengthen your bones:
Top 5 High Impact Exercises For Stronger Bones
Superman exercise involves Pilates-based moves that are specifically designed to stretch and strengthen muscles along your spine. They are great moves to stabilize your entire core and the back.
Numerous researchers indicate that you can increase your bone mass, especially on your spine, through strength training workouts. About a 2009 research from Canada’s McMaster University, performing weight training exercises for one year can increase spinal bone mass by 9% in postmenopausal women. However, it should be done with a lot of care to prevent bone joint pain, especially in the arms, hips and back.
This happens to be one of the most effective exercises that is also gentle for patients receiving psoriatic arthritis treatment. It involves standing leg lifts that strengthens the muscles around the hip while lubricating hip joints that are vulnerable to fractures in osteoporosis patients.
Resistance band set-outs help to improve flexibility while strengthening muscles. They are ideal for preventing bone joint pain in patients suffering from osteoporosis as they don’t strain your joints.
This is another great exercise for your hips. It involves moves that strengthen lower-body muscles that go a long way in making daily activities easier, such are rising from a chair or getting out of your car.
Conclusion
There are plenty of high impact exercises that can strengthen your bones and keep fractures at bay. They should be performed with care if you are prone to conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis. It is important to contact your doctor before taking up and exercise routine, especially if you are at an advanced age. Exercise regularly for the sake of your overall wellbeing!
Reference
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/exercise-weight-bearing
Author Bio
Meighan Sembrano is an author at Consumer Health Information. She has a keen interest in writing. She has contributed many beauty related articles in many popular websites. She has done her Mass Communication degree. She now lives in Washington DC. She is a social worker who spends her free time searching about life, health, beauty, world news and lifestyles fitness related articles. She is fond of travelling and trekking. To know more about her, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
Psoriasis Awareness
In the case of an old friend from university his psoriasis is triggered by stress. While mild it can still cause him serious discomfort.
Which is why I’ve decided to publish this brilliant psoriasis awareness butterfly from Donnee Spencer.
It would be great if you could like and share to help us raise awareness of psoriasis.
If you have any useful links regarding psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis please feel free to share in the comments section below.
Thanks in advance.
