Psoriatic Arthritis and Its Treatment
Psoriatic arthritis could be a variety of arthritis that affects some people with psoriasis. Most people first develop psoriasis and are later diagnosed with rheumatism, but in some cases joint problems can begin before patches of skin appear. Psoriasis is seen in 2 out of each 100 people within the society. Rheumatoid arthritis is found in approximately 1 in 5 psoriasis patients.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:
- Joint pain
- Hardness
- Swelling
Any part of the body can be affected, including the fingertips, back, spine or legs. And its effect varies according to the parts of the body.
In arthritis, redness of the healing joint could also be encountered. In both psoriasis and rheumatism, disease flares can alternate with periods of remission. Inflammation can also occur within the surrounding tendons and ligaments together with the joints.
There is no cure for rheumatism, so it is vital to regulate the symptoms and check out to stop damage to the joints. Without the necessity for treatment, rheumatism can become ineffective.
Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms
Swollen fingers and toes: Rheumatism can cause painful swelling of the fingers and toes. In addition, swelling and deformities may occur in the hands and feet before significant joint problems occur.
Foot pain: Also known as atrophic arthritis, foot pain can cause pain at the points where tendons and ligaments attach to bones. It is especially seen on the back of the heel and the sole of the foot.
Low back pain: Some people develop low back pain called spondylitis as a result of atrophic arthritis. Spondylitis is pain that actually causes inflammation between the vertebrae of the spine and the joints between the spine and pelvis. If left untreated, rheumatoid arthritis can severely damage joints and produce serious painful processes such as spondylitis.
Stiffness and stiffness within the joints: Stiffness and stiffness are observed within the joints once you get on my feet within the morning or after resting.
Movement problems: Limitation of movement and fatigue are observed.
How Is It Treated?
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis varies from patient to patient and therefore the area of the joint involved.
To relieve pain and inflammation within the joint, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as NSAID-naprosyn, diclofenac, indomethacin) may be enamored with a full stomach while protecting the stomach. In single joint involvement, corticosteroid injections are often made into the joint. However, oral (systemic) corticosteroid therapy isn't employed in psoriatic arthritis; it increases skin rashes.
To take the disease under long-term control and to forestall damage to the joint; rheumatism drugs that change the course of the disease are used. These are methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfasalazine, cyclosporine. Sometimes these drugs may be utilized in combination with one another. The malaria medication hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) could also be helpful in treatment, but is typically avoided because it will cause psoriasis flare-ups. Azathioprine is often used alone or together with other treatments in severe varieties of atrophic arthritis. In patients proof against the drugs mentioned above, biologic drugs called anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) -adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), golimumab (Simponi) alone or along with methotrexate may be used.
To severely damaged joints; Restorative surgical treatments like knee and articulatio coxae prosthesis surgeries may be performed.
