Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, in this case the joints and skin. The faulty immune response causes inflammation that triggers joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
Psoriatic arthritis is a progressive inflammatory condition of the joints and the places where tendons and ligaments attach to bones (entheses). It happens when the immune system, for unknown reasons, becomes overactive and creates inflammation, leading to pain and swelling.
“Just exercise more.”
Nope, sorry to say — no matter how much you exercise, you won't cure psoriatic arthritis. Yes, exercising can help in some circumstances but so can rest. People suffering from this disease have to be careful about what they do and how they far they push their body when exercising.
Overview of Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) disease in which the immune system becomes overactive, causing skin cells to multiply too quickly. Patches of skin become scaly and inflamed, most often on the scalp, elbows, or knees, but other parts of the body can be affected as well.
Psoriatic arthritis often occurs with psoriasis. The exact cause is unclear, but it may result from faulty immune activity. Some triggers and risk factors such as an infection, may increase the risk. Statistics suggest that around 20% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of the body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe.
Even so, the pain and discomfort associated with psoriatic arthritis can be significant. A study published in 2015 in the journal PLoS One found that the overall pain, joint pain, and fatigue reported by psoriatic arthritis patients was significantly greater than that reported by people with rheumatoid arthritis.
PsA, like psoriasis, is considered as an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with autoimmune and (auto)inflammatory features [19,20].
Psoriasis is also an autoimmune condition. It results when an overactive immune system causes a rapid increase in the production of skin cells. Around 30% of people with psoriasis will also develop psoriatic arthritis.
You'll probably think of skin issues first, but your eyes, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract (stomach and intestines), liver and kidneys may also be affected.
If left untreated, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can cause permanent joint damage, which may be disabling. In addition to preventing irreversible joint damage, treating your PsA may also help reduce inflammation in your body that could lead to other diseases.
Regular exercise can help you to prevent or manage the discomfort of psoriatic arthritis. NYU Langone doctors often recommend range-of-motion exercises, which preserve and restore joint motion. They also encourage strength training, which builds muscle and tendon strength to help stabilize and support joints.
If your PsA is causing you significant joint pain and affecting your daily function at home and on the job, it may be a valid reason to put in a Social Security disability application. Psoriatic arthritis falls under the classification of immune system impairments of the Disability Evaluation Under Social Security.
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
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 1 or 2 joints.
Six early signs of PsA are joint pain and swelling, swollen fingers, nail changes, fatigue, eye inflammation, and enthesitis, which affects the places where the tendons and muscles join the bones. Around 8 in 10 people who develop PsA already have a history of psoriasis, which causes scaly, silvery skin changes.
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the joints and entheses, where tendons and ligaments connect to bone. Like psoriasis, PsA is associated with related health conditions (comorbidities). It can start at any age and may affect children. The disease often appears between ages 30 and 50.
Psoriatic Arthritis Blood Test: Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test. Blood tests that look for the presence of anti-cylic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCPs), which are inflammatory, are commonly used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, but anti-CCPs can also indicate psoriatic arthritis.
PsA is often undiagnosed and can be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), especially in a non-rheumatologic setting [7–9]. RA is a chronic inflammatory arthritis typified by pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints, particularly symmetric small-joint synovitis of the hands and feet [10].
PsA does not usually affect life expectancy, but a person with PsA may have a higher risk of other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.
Psoriatic arthritis tends to be much more persistent when untreated. It can cause, as I said, joint destruction when untreated. But some people do experience significant flares of skin and joint disease, as well as periods where they are not in as much pain. Fibromyalgia also has flares and remission.
Psoriasis doesn't affect just your skin. It often leads to psoriatic arthritis, which can affect any part of your body, including your brain and spine. Neurological conditions that have been linked to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis include: Migraines.
Joints in the arms, legs, hands, and feet may also be involved. The most severe and least common type of psoriatic arthritis is called arthritis mutilans.
Blood tests can help diagnose psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rule out other possible causes of joint pain and stiffness, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Examples include tests for c-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor. Doctors do not rely solely on blood tests to diagnose PsA.
Psoriatic arthritis causes inflamed, swollen, and painful joints. It happens most often in the fingers and toes. It can lead to deformed joints.