Psoriatic Arthritis: What Is It?

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the skin (psoriasis) and joints (arthritis), which can result in destruction of the joints if it is left untreated. The disease is not life threatening, but it is an incurable disease that patients must live with for the rest of their lives. Approximately 10% of patients who have psoriasis also develop an associated inflammation of their joints. 80% of persons with this type of joint inflammation also have psoriatic skin manifestations. This means that 20% of patients have arthritis alone, and no skin manifestations.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Patients who have inflammatory arthritis and psoriasis are diagnosed as having psoriatic arthritis. The disease is a degeneration of the joints where the patient’s immune system attack the tissues of the joints. The condition usually attacks adults of 40+ years. The joints can become deformed and bent.

Psoriatic arthritis is a systemic rheumatic disease involving the immune system, and that can also cause inflammation in body tissues away from the joints other than the skin, such as in the eyes, heart, arteries, lungs, and kidneys. It belongs to the spondylarthropathies when it attacks the spinal joints, but it attacks many other joints as well, like knees, ankles and joints of the feet. Distal finger joints may be inflamed. Since psoriatic arthritis involves the immune system and is a systemic disease, it may produce painful inflammation in the body in general.

The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are pain and swelling in smaller joints like the hands and fingers and in the entire spine, and especially in larger joints like the arms and feet. The joint is then harder to bend and pain will be extremely intensive. When this disease attacks the fingers, there is a redness, swelling and increased heat of the fingers. Nail psoriasis is present in 80% of cases. Acne is also often associated with the disease. Neck and entire spine may be affected, and the condition may be confused with ankylosing spondylitis both due to the symptoms and the diagnostic findings, and even with rheumatoid arthritis if skin symptoms are absent.

Psoriatic arthritis can cause inflammation in other organs, such as the eyes, lungs, and aorta, causing valve leakage and, if severe, heart failure. Though the disease is manageable, these symptoms will not go away for long. They can flare up occasionally, so regular treatment should be applied so that the reoccurrence will be minimized as much as possible. It is not known what the real causes are for this disease. However, it is considered to be a genetic disorder by some medical researchers. Some people believe that it may be caused by exposure to environmental assailants. As described, it does involve the immune system.

Psoriatic arthritis affects males and females with psoriasis. It has no bias against gender or race. It usually happens in later years of a person’s life (40+), but can also affect the younger individual as well. 20% of cases manifest without psoriatic skin lesions.

Diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is relative to the swelling and painfulness of the joints, and usually the presence of psoriatic skin manifestations. Doctors may have to order blood tests to be done, and specialists may be needed to make the diagnosis certain, especially if there are no psoriatic skin manifestations.

Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that is sporadic and reoccurring, so treatment can be stopped or be ongoing depending on the symptoms. Treatment in the form of an anti-inflammatory drug prescribed by a physician or an over the counter drug like Ibuprofen or Advil (NSAID’s) is usually the first step in bringing the symptoms under control. Cox-2 inhibitors may be used. Steroids in the form of Prednisolone may be necessary in periods to ease the pain and to halt the progress of the disease. Methotrexate is effective, and anti-malarial medicines are also frequently used. Only when the joints are damaged should the patient consider surgery. Physical therapy and exercise may help with conditioning the joints and muscles. If other organs are involved, these must be dealt with on a specialist level.

Natural medicines that may be used are essential oils, herbs and tamanu oil. Healthy diet should not be neglected (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and greens), and avoiding alchohol, too much meat, fish etc may prove valuable.

For essential oils, choose the ”Heal Arthritis” essence, and if psoriatic skin manifestations are present, use ”Heal Psoriasis” as well.

For a great herbal product, please click HERE! if skin manifestations are present, and HERE if arthritis is the problem.

Tamanu Oil soothes the pain of arthritic conditions wonderfully when applied topically.

For best results, use all three; herbs, essential oils and tamanu oil!