Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

So, what is psoriatic arthritis?

• Psoriasis is a skin disease that has a link with psoriatic arthritis
• This disease causes pain and swelling in the joints which is known as inflammation. It can also cause a scaly rash on the skin.
• Psoriatic arthritis usually affects the wrists, ankles toes, knees and fingers. It may also affect the back.
• Psoriasis can cause a skin rash that is scaly on the knee, elbows and scalp.

Common treatments available:

NSAIDS

In psoriatic arthritis treatment, they help to reduce pain and the swelling of the joints and they also help to decrease stiffness. However, these medicines do not prevent any further joint damage.

The NSAIDS are a very large medication category and you can get some of these without a prescription. There are Aspirin, Novasen, Entrophen, Advil and Motril just to name a few.

DMARDs

This medicine is also used in psoriatic arthritis treatment especially when the symptoms are severe. These medications will help prevent the psoriatic arthritis from worsening, but it won’t reverse permanent joint damage. You will simply have to live with that unless you want to think about surgery. You may have to take DMARDs for several months before you notice any improvement in your symptoms.

The most common of these medications are gold salts, sulfsalazine, hydroxychloroquinine, . azathioprine, methotrexate, leflunomide (Arava®)and chloroquinine.

Corticosteroids

If you have really bad swelling, the doctor may prescribe corticosteroids for in psoriatic arthritis treatment. The drug can be administered by a needle.Rest the joint for up to three days after treatment. This drug also comes in pill form called Prednisone.

Biologic Response Modifiers (“Biologics”)

These are newer drugs and are becoming available for psoriatic arthritis treatment.

These medications have been effectively used for people who have moderate to severe psoriatic arthritis or for those patients who did not respond well to conventional forms of treatment. These drugs will work quickly to lessen inflammation, and they can also be used when combined with other medications.

Skin Care

You should use a humidifier in your home in the wintertime. In order to keep your skin from dring out, use creams and lotion. A corticosteroid cream may also be prescribed by your doctor. Do not use strong soaps that contain chemicals or other perfumes and be sure to speak to your doctor about “light therapy” which is a big help to psoriasis.

Exercise

If you happen to start a regular exercise routine, this will help not only to reduce pain but will prevent any further joint damage. Exercise will help decrease the stiffness you feel in your joints and will keep them moving. If you do too much exercise this can make psoriatic arthritis worse. Always consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

Here are some different types of exercise you can do that will help to lessen you stiffness and pain:

* Range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, endurance exercises and moderate stretching. All of these will help in psoriatic arthritis treatment.

These are only some of the methods that aid you in psoriatic arthritis treatment. Pick out the ones that are the most effective for you. Remember, it is not the end of the world if you have psoriatic arthritis.