Lack Of Exercise And Weight Gain
Just as stretching and light exercise can make it easier for you to get around and make your joints more flexible, lack of exercise and weight gain can quickly send you in the other direction and trigger flares.
Don’t neglect your body. Extra weight can:
- Put added pressure on already sore joints and on your spine
- Cause extra inflammation in your body and lead to arthritis in more joints
- Interfere with how well your medicine works
Diagnosing Psoriatic Arthritis Vs Ankylosing Spondylitis
The right diagnosis is vital to treating both PsA and AS, and is best done by a rheumatologist. There is no single test for either condition, so health care providers must rule out other disorders.
To begin, they will take your family and medical history, ask about symptoms and perform a physical exam. They will look for joint pain patterns and locations, as well as other distinguishing symptoms, like skin and nail issues for PsA and the presence of related symptoms, like eye or GI problems.
Lab testing is done to help diagnose AS and PsA. Providers may take blood or joint fluid samples to look for levels of inflammation and discount the possibility of other illnesses, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Patients suspected to have AS or PsA will likely have X-rays to check for damage to the joints. If more information is needed, additional imaging such as MRI or ultrasound can be used. Sometimes skin biopsies are involved.
Many times, especially if AS is suspected, patients will be tested for a genetic marker called HLA-B27. The gene is present in only about 8 percent of the general population but can be found in up to 95 percent of white AS patients and about 50 percent of black AS patients. In PsA, identifying the gene can help predict whether you may have problems with your spine.
Read more here about how ankylosing spondylitis is diagnosed and how psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed.
Importance Of Treating Psoriatic Arthritis
Although psoriatic arthritis may range from mild to severe, it is important to treat no matter the severity. If left untreated, psoriatic arthritis 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. These other diseases are often referred to as comorbidities.
A comorbidity is a disease or condition that occurs because of or is related to a health condition you have, such as PsA. Some common comorbidities of PsA include cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression.
There may be other reasons that you choose to treat. You may want to reduce joint pain that often prevents you from sleeping well or engaging in daily activities. You may want to protect your joints and range of motion so you are able to move comfortably as you age. These are all valid reasons to treat your PsA.
Whatever your motivation for treating, know that there are more options available now than ever before. Discuss with your rheumatologist how to effectively treat your PsA and meet your treatment goals. Since your treatment may also affect your overall health, continue to see your primary care provider for regular check-ups.
Don’t Miss: First Symptoms Of Ra
Ra Vs Oa Epidemiology
The primary difference between RA and OA is the underlying nature of the disease. RA is an autoimmune disorder that produces inflammatory joint symptoms throughout the body. OA is a degenerative condition that is the result of increased wear and tear on joints. OA may produce inflammatory symptoms as well, but it primarily destroys joint cartilage over time.
OA affects an estimated 27 million Americans while only 1.3 million Americans have RA. Both RA and OA are more prevalent in women than in men. RA can develop in patients anytime between the ages of 30 and 60 years old. OA generally develops later in life.
I Feel At A Loss Sometimes Depressed Is This Normal
Yes, this is a very normal process, a form of mourning and coming to terms with the fact that you have arthritis, and some things may have to change in your lifestyle to compensate, making things easier for you. Dont panic, try to work through your feelings, talking with a partner or someone close to you, If the feelings don’t pass, see your doctor who may be able to refer you to some form of short-term counselling.
Don’t Miss: What Does Arthritis Come From
Living With Psoriatic Arthritis
There is no cure for psoriatic arthritis. But you can reduce your symptoms by stickingto your treatment plan. Manage pain with medicine, acupuncture, and meditation. Getenough exercise. Good exercises include yoga, swimming, walking, and bicycling. Workwith a physical or occupational therapist. He or she can suggest devices to help you withyour daily tasks.
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.
There may be times when your symptoms improve and periods when they get worse .
Relapses can be very difficult to predict, but can often be managed with medicine when they do occur.
Also Check: Serum Negative Inflammatory Arthritis
Symptoms Of Ra And Psa
Both RA and PsA cause joint swelling, stiffness, and pain. Although both conditions affect joints in the fingers and toes, they do it in slightly different ways. And each one can cause other symptoms, too.
Rheumatoid arthritis:
- Often starts in the smaller joints, like the ones in your fingers and toes over time, it may affect other joints, too, like your wrists, knees, hips, and ankles.
- Usually shows up on the same joints on both sides of your body that means it’s symmetric.
- Often makes joints feel stiffer in the morning
- Can lead to fatigue, low-grade fever, and weight loss
Psoriatic arthritis:
- Can affect joints in the back and pelvis in addition to the ones in fingers and toes
- Often affects only one side of your body that means it’s asymmetric.
- Sometimes causes foot pain, especially on the sole of your foot or the back of your heel
- May make your fingers swell up like sausages
- May make your nails pit and flake
- Tends to affect entheses, areas where tendons or ligaments attach to bones
With both conditions, you’ll probably have times when your symptoms get worse. These are called flares. In between these flares are times without symptoms called remissions.
How Is Psoriatic Arthritis Mutilans Diagnosed
ishonestNo.364 – Acne Scars
In some cases, people diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis didnt know they had psoriasis. In 85 percent of psoriatic arthritis cases, symptoms of psoriasis are obvious before arthritis is apparent.
To diagnose psoriatic arthritis mutilans, your doctor will first confirm you have arthritis. After checking your joints for signs of swelling or tenderness, youll receive diagnostic testing.
Your doctor may order lab tests to check for inflammation or the presence of certain antibodies. Both can point to arthritis. You doctor will also likely recommend an X-ray or other imaging test to assess joint damage.
Once your doctor has diagnosed you with arthritis, theyll test a blood sample to find out what kind of arthritis you have. For example, if the rheumatoid factor and cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies are in your blood, you may have rheumatoid arthritis .
At this time, there isnt a lab biomarker for psoriatic arthritis or the psoriatic arthritis mutilans subset. Psoriatic arthritis mutilans is diagnosed by checking the severity of the bone destruction. There are very few conditions associated with such severe bone loss.
Also Check: Mayo Clinic Arthritis
The Basics Of Psoriatic Arthritis
When people think of psoriatic arthritis, they often immediately associate it with the skin disease psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin condition characterized by scaly red patches that commonly show up on your elbows, knees, and scalp. In about 70 percent of PsA cases, psoriasis appears first, though arthritis symptoms precede psoriasis in about 15 percent of cases and in another 15 percent of cases, the joint and skin symptoms strike at the same time.
Estimates vary, but its thought that roughly one in three people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis over time, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.
As with many inflammatory conditions, doctors dont know what causes psoriatic arthritis, though a combination of environment and genetics are thought to play a role about four in 10 people with PsA have family with either psoriasis or arthritis. PsA often strikes between the ages 30 and 50 and tends to occur in men and women equally. Caucasian people develop it more often than African or Asian Americans.
Like AS, PsA is also associated with many comorbidities, including inflammatory bowel disease, skin cancer, and depression. Many patients have metabolic syndrome, a group of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar that raises the risk for heart disease. Heart disease is a common complication among those with PsA.
Similar Quality Of Life Reported In Rheumatoid Arthritis Psoriatic Arthritis
Health-related quality of life is similar among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and those with psoriatic arthritis , with a tendency toward worse scores in patients with PsA, and worse scores compared with those of a group of Norwegian population controls, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The investigators used data derived from first-time enrollees with RA and PsA in the prospective, multicenter, longitudinal, observational Norwegian-Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug study.They sought to compare Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary scale scores, SF-36 Mental Component Summary scale scores, and Short Form-6 dimensions between patients with RA and patients with PsA and controls. Researchers also sought to compare improvements in these measures between patients with PsA and those with RA.
A total of 3898 participants with RA, 1515 participants with PsA, and 2323 general population controls were included in the study. Mean patient age was 55.9±31.6 years, 48.1±12.6.years, and 44.9±16.5 years, respectively.
Based on age- and gender-adjusted analyses, participants with PsA had similar PCS, MCS, and SF-6D scores compared with those with RA . In addition, patients with PsA had worse vitality and general health, but significantly better physical functioning at baseline and at 6 months .
Don’t Miss: Arthritis Medicine Side Effects
Difference Between Psoriatic And Rheumatoid Arthritis
There are lots of types of arthritis. But in general, this inflammation joint problem is divided into two major types rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. How about psoriatic arthritis ? As the name suggests, this type is a consequence of health condition called psoriasis .
To clearly understand the difference between psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis, its better to understand the cause and the way of how they occur.
How does RA develop?
Although the exact cause of RA is not fully understood yet, but it is thought as an autoimmune health condition in which the immune system mistakenly attack its own healthy cells or tissues. Normally, the bodys immune system is essential to help fight against foreign substances such as harmful viruses or bacteria.
But if you have RA, the bodys immune system mistakenly attacks the joints , resulting inflammation that can cause joint damage.
There is still no answer of how and why the immune system attacks the wrong targets such as synovium though genetics appear likely. Some external factors such as bacterial or viral infection may also have a role in triggering the disease.
In some cases, RA doesnt only affect joints but it may also affect other organs such as lung and heart. It seems that having RA increases the risk of lung disease and heart problems.
In other words, the risk of disability is not the single issue you need to worry if you have RA. Other complications also should be concerned as well.
How Is Psoriatic Arthritis Treated
Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on the severity of your condition.
Boththe skin condition and the joint inflammation are treated. Early diagnosis andtreatment helps prevent joint damage. Some medicines used to treat psoriatic arthritisinclude:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines to ease symptoms
- Corticosteroids for inflammation
- Immunosuppressive medicines such as methotrexate to reduce inflammation if NSAIDs don’t work
- Biologic medicines to ease inflammation
- Vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D to slow bone deformation
Other treatment may include:
- Obesity
Also Check: Vicks Vaporub For Joint Pain
How Psoriatic Arthritis And Rheumatoid Arthritis Differ
Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are both autoimmune diseases that affect the joints. Both are inflammatory and progressivecausing joint stiffness, pain, and swelling, as well as persistent fatigue. In addition, both occur in flares and can be treated with medications that suppress the immune system.
However, PsA and RA are different diseasesand the differences are important when it comes to their prognosis and the best approach for managing each condition.
With PsA, the joint symptoms are tightly linked to inflammation of the skin from psoriasis . With RA, the immune system primarily targets joint tissue.
The different underlying disease processes mean that the conditions are diagnosed with different methods and they also require different therapeutic approaches.
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.
Recommended Reading: Arthritis Rash On Hands
Psoriatic Arthritis Vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
Because psoriatic arthritis impacts the skin as well as the joints, its sometimes referred to as a double whammy, or like rheumatoid arthritis but with a nasty skin rash, according to the arthritis advocacy group Creaky Joints.
Both psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune disorders that cause joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness, as well as chronic fatigue. But there are differences in how the diseases develop and affect the joints.
According to Kathleen Maksimowicz-Mckinnon, DO, a rheumatologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, there are some telltale signs that your arthritis pain is due to psoriatic arthritis, and not rheumatoid arthritis. These include:
RELATED: Signs and Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis
Is Psoriatic Arthritis Worse Than Rheumatoid
Relief for Prednisone-Related Face Swelling My husband has psoriatic arthritis and its getting worse it has progressed from his first finger.
which is why we may opt to resort to “bigger guns” than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Psoriatic arthritis is a long-term inflammatory disease. Symptoms may get progressively worse over time without effective treatment.
to rule out other common forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid.
Quality of life measure among patients with RA or PsA were worse than.
of life measures for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
with DMARDs were larger in patients with RA than patients with PsA for.
meaning that they get worse over time. But by carefully managing the disease, many patients are able to lead relatively normal lives and delay the onset of the worst symptoms and complications.
Psoriatic Arthritis is an autoimmune disease which causes pain, swelling and stiffness to.
Most people notice joints becoming increasingly stiff, worse in the morning and.
or antibodies which if positive are associated more with RA than PsA.
While ankyloses can also occur in other inflammatory arthritis conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, “psoriatic arthritis generally has more fusion than rheumatoid arthritis.
or periods when.
Though it is not known what causes psoriatic arthritis, it is suspected that genetic factors come into play. Infection is also thought to trigger the overactive immune system. Without treatment,
Read Also: Arthritis Remission
What Does Phil Mickelson Do For His Arthritis
Mickelson said he was taking Enbrel to treat his arthritis. What is Enbrel? Paget: Enbrel is a biologic drug that blocks tumor necrosis factor , a substance that can cause or worsen inflammation. Fully 50% to 60% of people who use Enbrel will respond, and it is like getting a whole new life.
How Are Psoriatic Arthritis And Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed
Unfortunately, there’s enough overlap between these two conditions that diagnosis can be a little difficult, though a doctor may be able to know right away which kind of arthritis is affecting their patient.
For example, Dr. Domingues notes that the distal joints aren’t affected in RA, so asking a patient about where they experience pain can be a useful tool. Likewise, if a patient has diagnosed psoriasis or crumbling, pitting nails and visits their doctor complaining of new joint pain, they probably have PsA, not RA.
Just as often, however, further testing is needed to truly determine whether the cause of symptoms is RA or PsA.
“The good thing about RA is there are blood tests that can help us diagnose, but they aren’t terribly helpful with psoriatic arthritis,” says Dr. Domingues. “There’s no gene or blood test for PsA, but inflammatory markers can be elevated in both conditions.”
Radiology can also be helpful for diagnosing both conditions, Dr. Domingues explains: “Both x-rays and MRIs can allow us to see inflammation and bone issues .”
RELATED: ‘I Was Diagnosed With Rheumatoid Arthritis at 40Right After I Had a Baby’
Also Check: Test For Arthritis In Knees
What Are The Symptoms Of Psoriatic Arthritis Mutilans
Everyone who develops psoriatic arthritis will experience arthritis symptoms. This includes stiff joints and decreased range of motion.
If you develop psoriatic arthritis mutilans, the bone in the affected joints will begin to disappear. This makes it impossible to straighten or bend the affected joint.
Over time, the affected joints shorten. This causes loose skin to develop in the affected areas. The loose skin retracts and becomes loose and mobile.