Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects the skin. But about 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop a form of inflammatory arthritis called psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In this type of arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. The faulty immune response causes inflammation that triggers joint pain, stiffness and swelling. The inflammation can affect the entire body and may lead to permanent joint and tissue damages if it is not treated early. So you may want to know what are the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis? And what are the best treatments of psoriasis arthritis? Keep reading to find out.
Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic diseases that get worse over time, but you may have periods when your symptoms become worse. So to learn the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis is important. Symptoms of PsA can include:
- Swollen fingers and toes. Psoriatic arthritis can cause a painful, sausage-like swelling of your fingers and toes. You may also develop swelling and deformities in your hands and feet before having significant joint symptoms.
- Pain in other areas where tendons attach to bone (enthesitis), such as your knee, hip and chest.
- Pain and stiffness in and around your joints.
- Pitting, discoloration and thickening of your nails.
- Fatigue, which can be caused by the activity of the disease and the emotional effects that come with living with a long-term condition.
Treatments of Psoriatic Arthritis
Medications:
The following are the main medications used to treat psoriatic arthritis (PsA):
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
- Corticosteroid, also called glucocorticoids or steroids
- Traditional Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARDs) such as (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), Leflunomide (Arava), (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Rheumatrex, Trexall, ), (Azulfidine).
- Biologic DMARDs such as Adalimumab (Humira)， Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)， Etanercept (Enbrel)， Golimumab (Simponi)， Infliximab (Remicade)， Ustekinumab (Stelara)
- Biosimilars such as Renflexis(infliximab-abda), Amjevita(adalimumuab-atto), Erelzi(etanercept-szzs), Cyltezo(adalimumab-adbm), Ixifi(infliximab-qbtx), Inflectra(infliximab-dyyb)
- Target-specific DMARDs
- Other medications such as ，Imuran(azathioprine)，tofacitinib) and tofacitinib
Natural Remedies:
There are many natural remedies to try for Psoriatic Arthritis. Most of these do not have much scientific research supporting their use. These should not replace the traditional treatments for PsA but can provide some additional relief and quality of life benefits.
Natural remedies for psoriatic arthritis include the following:
Apple cider vinegar that can be applied to patches of psoriasis on the scalp.
Tea tree oil may ease skin inflammation caused by PsA.
Oats added in a bath can help relieve itchy patches of psoriasis.
Turmeric which is highly regarded for its anti-inflammatory properties can be added to the foods.
Aloe vera can provide cooling comfort for irritated patches of psoriatic skin. However, aloe vera should only be used topically. Taking it orally may be dangerous.
Fish oil can reduce the Joint pain. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil help block inflammation and ease painful swelling.
There are also some alternative therapies available to complement treatments of psoriasis arthritis such as massage therapy, acupuncture and acupressure.