How To Control Psoriatic Arthritis

Natural Cures For Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriosis is basically an auto-immune skin disorder that is characterized by the presence of thick, red or silvery-white colored patches, often found on the skin of elbows and knees. Since, these patches are most often found on the outer side of the joints, it affects the functioning of joints by causing swelling, inflammation and joint pains that are similar to the symptoms of arthritis.Approximately 10-30 % of people suffering from psoriosis experience joint deformities, stiffness and pains leading to a condition called psoriatic arthritis. This debilitating condition occurs primarily due to excessive and prolonged inflammation of the joints caused by an over-active immune system, which fails to differential between foreign antigens and the bodys own skin cells, thereby eliciting a faulty response.

Conventional drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have only shown a delay in joint damage but they do not slow down the progression of the disease. Moreover, the side effects associated with these drugs have made the use of natural treatments, a lucrative approach for treating psoriatic arthritis. Read on to explore the different natural ways that can be adapted to alleviate the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

Helped Stop Further Joint Damage

In a study, patients taking HUMIRA showed a reduction in further joint damage, compared with patients taking placebo, at week 24 and this effect was maintained at 48 weeks. 91% of patients taking HUMIRA for PsA showed no further joint damage after 24 weeks of treatment, compared with 71.1% of patients taking placebo.

Do you find it difficult to do some of your daily activities because of joint pain and stiffness?

See how others responded.

Learn more about how HUMIRA, a TNF-alpha blocker, treats active psoriatic arthritis.

For less severe symptoms, your doctor may consider:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : For mild pain and inflammation, affecting only a couple of joints.
• Corticosteroids: Prescribed when joints are inflamed.
• Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs : For more persistent symptoms affecting multiple joints.

Is your current medication meeting your treatment expectations?

You and your doctor may have tried more than one treatment for psoriatic arthritis without getting the results youre looking for.

If you arent seeing adequate joint and skin results, it may be time to discuss a biologic treatment option with your doctor. HUMIRA is proven to help relieve joint pain, prevent further irreversible joint damage, and help in achieving clearer skin in many adults. It works from the inside out to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to joint and skin symptoms.

Try Gentle Stretching And Strengthening Exercises

If you’re less active because of psoriatic arthritis pain, your muscles can start to weaken. And tight, weak muscles can put extra pressure on your joints, which can make pain worse, says Katie Lawton, MEd, an exercise physiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Stretching and strengthening exercises can increase your range of motion and build muscle to help take pressure off of your joints.

The key is to determine which muscles to work and how much to work them, says Lawton. If you have chronic pain, start by stretching to a tolerable limit and then gradually increasing the stretch over time. Strength training, which includes exercising with free weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight, is also beneficial, but its important to understand your limitations. You may want to consider working with a physical therapist or personal trainer, who can help you develop a workout plan thats right for you.

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Take Pain Medications For Psoriatic Arthritis

Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen are often used to manage pain in psoriatic arthritis. If those don’t provide enough relief, John M. Davis, III, MD, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, also recommends trying non-narcotic prescription medications, which change the way the brain’s pain center processes certain proteins that trigger pain. Although these drugs aren’t narcotics, side effects can include stomach upset and bad dreams.

Other medications to treat psoriatic arthritis include traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologic therapies, which can help ease pain and slow joint damage. Always follow your treatment plan as prescribed and talk to your doctor before taking a pain medication.

How To Manage Psoriatic Arthritis On Feet

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic autoimmune condition1 that can involve serious pain and inflammation in the peripheral joints, tendons, and spine. If you think you have the condition, then you might wonder how to spot psoriatic arthritis on feet. Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint in the feet, from the metatarsal joints to the ankle and beyond, so you might have foot pain in multiple areas with the condition, according to Alice Bendix Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and medical director at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Dermatology.21

Psoriatic arthritis happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body. If you are trying to determine whether your symptoms could be psoriatic arthritis, its helpful to understand how the disease compares with other conditions that cause foot pain. Read on to learn about psoriatic arthritis on feet, including symptoms, treatment, and home remedies.

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Table 2 How And When To Take A Biologic Drug

Some of the biologics have multiple uses and are also approved for treating other diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, Crohns disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and other autoimmune diseases.

What Causes Psoriatic Arthritis

The cause of psoriatic arthritis is unknown. Researchers suspect that it develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. They also think that immune system problems, infection, obesity, and physical trauma play a role in determining who will develop the disease. Psoriasis itself is neither infectious nor contagious.

Recent research has shown that people with psoriatic arthritis have an increased level of tumor necrosis factor in their joints and affected skin areas. These increased levels can overwhelm the immune system, making it unable to control the inflammation associated with psoriatic arthritis.

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Psoriasis Isnt Caused By Poor Hygiene

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease and has nothing to do with poor hygiene. It is neither caused or worsened by poor hygiene. Much like other illnesses of the immune system, people who have the condition have a genetic tendency to develop it.

If someone in your family has psoriasis, you may have the genes to develop the condition. But even with the right genes, there still needs to be something that triggers the disease. This could be anything from a physical illness to a skin injury or even extreme stress, or a certain medication. Once something triggers psoriasis, it is either short-lived or life-long. If it is life-long, there are often treatments to control it.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Psoriasis

There are different types of psoriasis. The most common is chronic plaque psoriasis. This causes patches of red, raised skin, with white and silvery flakes.

It can occur anywhere on the skin, but most commonly at the elbows, knees, back, buttocks and scalp.

Psoriasis can cause small round dents in finger and toe nails, this is known as pitting. Nails can also change colour, become thicker and the nail may lift away from your finger.

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Ways To Ease Psoriatic Arthritis Pain

Living with chronic pain can make your days challenging, but it shouldnt keep you from living your life. Try these expert tips to relieve psoriatic arthritis pain.

Most forms of arthritis have one thing in common: chronic pain. If you have psoriatic arthritis, that pain can involve any of your joints and range from mild to severe. Although there’s no cure for psoriatic arthritis, you can control the inflammation that causes pain and can lead to permanent joint damage. Try these tips from rheumatologists and physical therapists to help manage the chronic pain associated with psoriatic arthritis.

Additional reporting by Beth W. Orenstein and Susan Jara

What Foods Should I Eat

When it comes to psoriatic arthritis, many of the foods on the good list are the same types found on other types of healthy diet lists such as for heart health, diabetes, and cancer. Many of these foods have the effect of decreasing inflammation. Naturally, since joint inflammation is a major symptom of psoriatic arthritis, these types of foods are beneficial for people who have this disease.

What should you eat to decrease inflammation? As a starting base, your diet should include:

• Vegetables
• Legumes

When cooking, use healthy oils, such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Great herbs to use include ginger and turmeric, which are also noted for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Many of the foods listed for helping to improve psoriatic arthritis are ones with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The following list of foods are known for just that.

• Avocado: This fruit is one of the best healthy fats out there. Avocados are high in potassium, beta-carotene, and Vitamins C, E, and K.

• Greens: Leafy greens, including collards, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and beet greens are great anti-oxidant and Vitamin K boosters.

• Fatty fish: Anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids are the key in fatty fish. Try trout and salmon as part of your psoriatic arthritis diet.

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Newer Drug Treatments For Psoriatic Arthritis

Get more information about the medications, ustekimumab, apremilast and abatacept that were approved by the FDA as options for treating PsA.

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory form of arthritis that causes painful, swollen joints, as well as the skin symptoms associated with psoriasis. Approximately 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop PsA in addition to their skin condition. The goal of treatment is to improve both joint and skin symptoms and prevent or minimize permanent joint damage.. While there are a variety of treatments available, many PsA patients are undertreated, making newer drug approvals important to give doctors and patients more options. Depending on its severity, psoriatic arthritis is typically treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , corticosteroids and conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs such as methotrexate. Biologics such as adalimumab , etanercept , golimumab and infliximab are used when other treatments fail to bring relief or as part of an aggressive treatment strategy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved three new drugs between 2013 and 2017 for use in psoriatic arthritis:

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Do Spice Up Your Meals

Many people with psoriatic arthritis find symptom relief from natural remedies like herbs and spices. Some, like turmeric and clove, are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, but research supporting their use is not well established, says Smith. Therefore, spices are best when used in conjunction with your medication regimen. And while the use of herbs and spices in moderation may play a small role in reducing inflammation, be sure to talk to your doctor before incorporating them into your diet, as not all of them are safe for everyone to use, and some can even interact with your treatment.

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How Psoriatic Arthritis Flares Are Diagnosed

Because PsA flares dont have a set definition, the diagnosis is made in large part through communication with your doctor. The first thing we do is we look at the history: whats been happening before the flare, Dr. Husni says. We want to know what the triggers are for your disease and we want patients to see the connection.

A skin flare is a bit easier to identify, and a diagnosis would be made with a rheumatologist and dermatologist. We work very closely with the dermatologist its important that they are involved in the treatment decision, Dr. Husni says.

PsA flare-ups can be so hard to pin down that both professionals we talked to suggested keeping a brief diary of your symptoms to help your doctor diagnose when they are happening, and why.

I recommend that people keep a symptom diary over time so that they can keep track of the conditions that might have preceded their flares in their lifetime, so that they can respond more proactively in the future, Crow says. Unfortunately often its most clear in retrospect. You can use our ArthritisPower app to track your symptoms and disease activity and share your results with your doctor.

Dont Cook Foods At High Temperatures

In particular, when some types of meat are cooked at very high temperatures, it releases a substance called advanced glycation end products . Very high levels of AGEs are linked to increased inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation. While the exact impact of cooking at a high temperature is still unproven, it’s best to play it safe, Smith says. Opt for steamed or braised meats and avoid processed foods, which may also be high in AGEs.

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Maintain A Healthy Weight To Lower Your Psoriatic Arthritis Risk

In a recent review in the March 2021 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers looked at whether lifestyle factors affected risk of developing psoriatic arthritis among people with psoriasis. Interestingly, the study suggests that making certain changes, such as losing weight if you are overweight or obese, could make a difference.

Participants in the study who were overweight or obese were found to have an increased psoriatic arthritis risk and the higher their body mass index, or BMI, the higher their risk. According to a review published in June 2020 in Rheumatology and Therapy, this is likely because fat tissue plays a role in inflammation throughout the body.

There is no question there is a link between obesity and psoriasis, and that there is a higher link in those with obesity of developing psoriatic arthritis on top of psoriasis, says Eric Ruderman, MD, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Maintaining a healthy weight plays a vital role in lowering psoriatic arthritis risk, says Modi. Not only can weight loss decrease inflammation in your body if youre overweight or obese but it can also relieve stress on your joints and tendons, Modi adds. Extra weight leads to higher demands on the joints and tendons, which can cascade into increased inflammation, she says.

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Why Your Mental Health Matters When Living With Psoriatic Arthritis

Living with a chronic condition that requires life-long management to ease pain and reduce disease progression can take its toll on a persons mental and emotional reserves. Anxiety and depression are both prevalent in people with psoriatic arthritis, with data showing 1 in 3 patients with at least mild anxiety and 1 in 5 with at least mild depression.

Not only do anxiety and depression interfere with your quality of life, but they also are linked to greater disease activity.13 So it is important to recognize any mental or emotional challenges you may be feeling and seek help.

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Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment For Feet

There is no cure for psoriatic arthritis but there are medications that help control inflammation and pain. Each of these psoriatic arthritis treatments work differently, and your doctor will make a recommendation based on your particular situation.

Some of the most commonly prescribed medications include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are available over the counter and by prescription to help ease pain and inflammation. These do not prevent psoriatic arthritis from progressing.
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are available only by prescription. These drugs can prevent psoriatic arthritis from worsening and preserve joint tissue.
• Immunosuppressants target your immune system to prevent it from attacking healthy tissue.
• Biologics are a new form of DMARDs that target the specific part of the immune system triggering inflammation. Sometimes biologics are used in conjunction with another DMARD.

Doctors may also administer corticosteroid injections into the affected foot joints to help with pain, according to Gottlieb.

Past Research And Achievements In This Area

In 2015, research led by our centre for genetics and genomics at the University of Manchester identified genetic variants associated with psoriatic arthritis, but not with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis. This helped to establish psoriatic arthritis as a condition in its own right. The findings could lead to the development of drugs specifically for psoriatic arthritis.

Later in the same year, our TICOPA trial looked at the benefits of early aggressive drug treatment for people with psoriatic arthritis followed by an increase in drug dosage if initial treatment isnt working. The trial found that patients treated this way, required fewer hospital- and community-based services than patients receiving the standard care.

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Homoeopathic Treatment For Psoriatic Arthritis

As mentioned above its an autoimmune condition chronic in nature. So its important to treat the cause first and the symptoms will be relieved on its own. For that a proper homoeopathic case taking and constitutional approach is necessary as its deep seated genetic complaint and only a deep seated constitutional remedial force can bring about change for better. But in many severe cases where there are gross degenerative changes or the disease has progressed much further or the pain is severe we need to treat theraputically initially to get the acute exacerbations in check and later we can find out constitutional remedy based on Miasmatic background and totality of symptoms of Mind and Body. Also There arise much need for anti-miasmatic nosode administeration in the course of treatment if the case is improving but improvement is soon regressing or case has hit a stand still and ia not reaponding further in such case we need to consider a nosode.