When discussing psoriatic arthritis medical treatment, patients must bear in mind that there is no known cure for this disease. Hence, treatment is aimed at minimizing its symptoms and bringing relief.

Controlling Inflammation

The man symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are pain, inflammation, swelling and stiffness of the joints. Treating these symptoms soon after the disease is detected will prevent the joints from getting deformed and damaged.

Also, the more dramatic symptoms concern the joints but it is important to treat the skin disease as well.

Pain and stiffness can be controlled and managed with medications that are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. These include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, or cox-2 selective inhibitors.

Drug Treatment

Medications with these active ingredients will ease inflammation and show improvement in mild cases.

Severe inflammation may call for stronger drugs such as Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs).

While discussing psoriatic arthritis medical treatment with your doctor, he is likely to suggest drugs that contain methotrexate as the active ingredient. These drugs have been available for a long time and are available on oral or injectable form.

Methotrexate is not used for psoriatic arthritis medical treatment alone and is prescribed for cancer as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

It has been found effective in the treatment of psoriasis as it is an anti-metabolite, and restricts the wanton multiplication of skin cells. Ii also eases inflammation in the joints.

Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis

Methotrexate is especially effective when the patient suffers from obvious symptoms of both psoriasis as well as psoriatic arthritis.

Azathioprine interestingly is prescribed for individuals with mainly joint manifestations of the disease and with minimal symptoms of psoriasis.

Used for many types of arthritis, azathioprine is basically an immunosuppressant and has been used during organ transplant surgery so that the body does not reject the transplanted organ.

Another class of drugs used in psoriatic arthritis medical treatment is immunobiologics. We mentioned earlier that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis involve a malfunctioning of the immune system.

Immunobiologics for Psoriatic Arthritis

Immunobiologics essentially suppress or interfere with T cell activity. T cells acts as messengers or couriers of information to the lymph nodes when an invader or antigen enters the body.

Once the T cells are triggered, a complex chain of events takes place in the immune system that results in the T cells stimulating the development of the psoriasis phenotype in the skin.

These are the main drugs used psoriatic arthritis medical treatment though there are several others as well.

Psoriatic Arthritis Medical Treatment is a post from: Skincare

No cure has yet been discovered for psoriatic arthritis. The goal of all available treatments is to control the swelling and inflammation of the joints. OTC treatment for psoriatic arthritis can help to reduce the pain and improve the quality of life.

Confirm the Diagnosis

Skin symptoms and joint symptoms are usually treated together. An individual suffering from psoriasis that develops pain and swelling in the joints should first see a rheumatologist to confirm whether they have psoriatic arthritis.

Other conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have similar symptoms.

Over the counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen are easily available. Aspirin can reduce pain, swelling and stiffness. 

Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

A variety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used to treat psoriatic arthritis. These are available both over the counter and on prescription.

However, the strength of the medications available over the counter is lower than those prescribed by a doctor. In mild cases of psoriatic arthritis, the OTC NSAIDs may provide relief.

If you are have joint stiffness in the morning, the best time to take NSAIDs is at night and again in the morning. These medications should be taken with food to minimize gastrointestinal upsets.

Exercise Can Help

Exercise plays an important role in minimizing pain and swelling.  Moderate exercise strengthens muscles and maintains mobility of the joints. Stretching exercises are effective for arthritis of the spine. 

Dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin help some people with psoriatic arthritis.

Cold packs used on a swollen joint can reduce swelling and improve mobility. Similarly, soaking in warm water or a warm compress can ease the symptoms.

Adequate Rest

In some people, psoriatic arthritis results in extreme fatigue. Rest and sleep can alleviate inflammation of the joints.  Avoid strenuous activities and lifting heavy objects.

For people with swollen feet and ankles, wearing standard shoes may be very painful. Special shoes, heel cups and pads can provide relief.

If OTC treatment for psoriatic arthritis is not strong enough to reduce the pain and swelling, a rheumatologist will be able to prescribe stronger drugs.

OTC Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis is a post from: Skincare

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints associated with psoriasis. It affects the joints of the knees, fingers, toes and the spine. To understand the disease, its causes and treatment, let’s find out about psoriatic arthritis and its basics.

Psoriasis and psoriatic Arthritis

Up to 25 per cent of people suffering from psoriasis develop this disease. 

Psoriasis is a common skin condition in which the person has patches of red, inflamed skin with silvery scales. This occurs because the new skin cells are produced at an abnormally fast pace and then collect as scaly patches on the surface.

When learning about psoriatic arthritis and its basics, you need to know that individuals with severe skin psoriasis are more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis than those who don’t have the skin disease.

However, it takes about 10 years for the joint disease to develop after psoriasis surfaces.

Psoriatic arthritis affects both men and women, but the spine is usually affected in men, while the joints are affected in women.  This disease is seen more in Caucasians, and in people between the ages of 30 to 55 years.

What Causes It?

Science is yet to discover what causes psoriatic arthritis. It is suspected to be linked to hereditary, environmental and immune factors.

Children of parents with psoriatic arthritis are very likely candidates for the disease. If one twin develops psoriatic arthritis, there is a 70 per cent likelihood of the other twin also developing the disease.

Environmental conditions implicated are injury and infectious agents such as streptococci and staphylococci.

Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis

People with psoriatic arthritis usually have patches of psoriatic rash, accompanied by itching and burning. In addition, changes are seen in the fingernails and toenails, such as pitting and nail separation.

Pain and swelling is experienced in the joints of both the fingers and toes. In severe cases, the digits get deformed. Pain and inflammation also occur at the point where tendons and ligaments are attached to the bones, such as the heel.

Types of Psoriatic Arthritis

Monoarticular arthritis affects one joint. Oligoarticular arthritis affects a few joints. This type is most commonly seen.

Polyarthritis affects many joints in a symmetrical manner. This type of psoriatric arthritis appears identical to rheumatoid arthritis and affects the joints of the hands, feet, wrists and ankles.

A less common form is arthritis mutilans, which is characterized by severe deformities of the fingers.

Axial disease is very rare and results in arthritis of the spine, chest and sacroiliac joint. This causes pain and stiffness in the neck, breastbone and the lower back.

Psoriatic Arthritis in Children

Children suffer from juvenile psoriatic arthritis, wherein both skin psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis occur together. In some children, arthritis occurs before psoriasis.

Like psoriasis, there is no cure for psoriatic arthritis. However, the symptoms can be controlled and managed in a number of ways.

In addition to the use of topical ointments and moisturizers for psoriasis, a rheumatologist may prescribe non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce joint pain and swelling.

If one or two joints are affected, corticosteroids may be injected directly into the joint. Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) may also be prescribed.

Other therapies that can be used include moderate exercise, which will strengthen the muscles and improve flexibility. Hot and cold treatments will also relieve joint pain and inflammation.

Having reviewed the information about psoriatic arthritis and its basics, you are better equipped to deal with the disease.

Psoriatic Arthritis Basics is a post from: Skincare