Top Questions on Living with Psoriatic Arthritis

Dr. Julie Mercy J DavidErasmus Mundus Master in Adapted Physical Activity, MPT, BPTh/BPTPhysiotherapist

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Maintain a healthy weight. This places less strain on your joints, leading to reduced pain and increased energy and mobility. Losing weight if needed can also help your medications work better. Some psoriatic arthritis medications are less effective in people who are overweight. Exercise regularly. Exercise can help keep your joints flexible and your muscles strong. Types of exercises that are less stressful on joints include biking, swimming, walking, yoga and tai chi. Cold compresses can help reduce swelling in the area. Cooling also helps to numb sharp pain. Apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes, up to five times a day. Use a frozen gel pack, ice cubes in a plastic bag, or a bag of frozen peas. Wrap the cold pack in a soft towel. Do not apply a cold pack directly to skin. Heat therapy heat helps to relax tense muscles and soothe a stiff area. It can help with muscle pain and bonny pain. Use a heated gel pack, heating pad or a hot water bottle. 

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Dr. Julie Mercy J DavidErasmus Mundus Master in Adapted Physical Activity, MPT, BPTh/BPTPhysiotherapist

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Lifestyle and home remedies protect your joints. Changing the way you carry out everyday tasks can make a tremendous difference in how you feel. For example, you can avoid straining your finger joints by using gadgets such as jar openers to twist the lids from jars, by lifting heavy pans or other objects with both hands, and by pushing doors open with your whole body instead of just your fingers. Maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight places less strain on your joints, leading to reduced pain and increased energy and mobility. Losing weight if needed can also help your medications work better. Some psoriatic arthritis medications are less effective in people who have a body mass index of 25.0 to 29.9 (overweight). The best way to increase nutrients while limiting calories is to eat more plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Exercise regularly. Exercise can help keep your joints flexible and your muscles strong. Types of exercises that are less stressful on joints include biking, swimming and walking. Stop smoking. Smoking is associated with a higher risk of developing psoriasis and with more-severe symptoms of psoriasis. Limit alcohol use. Alcohol can increase your risk of psoriasis, decrease the effectiveness of your treatment and increase side effects from some medications, such as methotrexate. Pace yourself. Battling pain and inflammation can leave you feeling exhausted. In addition, some arthritis medications can cause fatigue. 

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Kirantej DaggupatiMS - OrthopaedicsOrthopedic Doctor

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-if duloxetine is causing so many problems better to stop it - start on drugs methotrexate hope you should be recieving for your psoriasis the details of your psoriasis treatment is not available here - if you can upload the treatment details of psoriasis I can help you in better way. 

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Dr. Sameer SahayMBBS, DNB (General Medicine), EULAR Certified, Fellowship in DiabetesRheumatologist

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Hello...Psoriatic arthritis , that too at young age, may lead to severe joint damage apart from the intermittent pain. Rather than taking pain killers you should get treated for this condition with proper disease modifying anti rheumatic treatment. 

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Dr. Julie Mercy J DavidErasmus Mundus Master in Adapted Physical Activity, MPT, BPTh/BPTPhysiotherapist

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Psoriatic arthritis (psa), can affect both the inside and outside of your body. The main goal of psoriatic arthritis treatment is to control the inflammation that causes your joints to swell and ache. That will ease your pain and help prevent further damage. Light therapy exposing your skin to ultraviolet (uv) light can help get rid of psoriasis skin plaques. But because uv light can damage skin and possibly lead to skin cancer, it’s important to get light therapy only with a doctor’s ok. Different types include: narrowband uvb phototherapy. You’ll probably get it at a clinic to begin with, especially if you have widespread disease. You’ll cover your eyes and genitals, and the rest of you will be exposed to the light for a few seconds to a few minutes. You’ll probably go about three times a week for 3 months. If you respond well, and your insurance covers the cost, you can get a smaller home unit. It can be a good option if you need weekly treatments to keep you in remission. You’ll still be under a doctor’s supervision. Excimer laser. This uses narrowband uvb to treat smaller areas, like psoriasis on your scalp. You’ll get 20-25 treatments over 2-3 weeks and should see results after a month or so. Puva. This combines uva rays with a pill called psoralen, which makes your skin more sensitive to light. You can’t get this treatment long, though, because uva rays are more damaging than uvb. You’ll get 20-25 treatments over a 2- to 3-week period. You should see results after about a month. Exercise: when your joints are sore, you may not want to move. But doing so can: keep your joints and tendons loose keep the inflammation that comes with this disease in check lessen the workload on your joints lower your risk of other conditions that come with psa, like heart disease, diabetes, and crohn’s disease walking, biking, and swimming are all good options. Get to, and stay at, a healthy weight. Almost half the people with psa are overweight. Studies show that losing just 10% of your body weight can improve your response to medications for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Manage your stress. Things that make you worry can also make your psa worse. Exercise, medication, and talk therapy can all help. Rest. Give an achy joint a break. You can go back to what you were doing when you feel better. Don’t drink. Mixing some psa medications with alcohol can lead to liver damage. Your doctor can let you know if you should quit. Massage: it can help stretch your muscles and joints, promote circulation in your lymph system, and help you relax. 

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Dr. Jayvirsinh ChauhanMD - Homeopathy, BHMSHomeopath

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Hello Lybrate-User, Treatment is done in both but permanent solution is best in homeopathic treatment. You can consult me at Lybrate. 

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Dr. Karuna ChawlaBHMSHomeopathy Doctor

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Psoriatic arthritis is a long-term inflammatory arthritis that occurs in people affected by the autoimmune disease psoriasis. Pain, swelling, or stiffness in one or more joints is commonly present in psoriatic arthritis. Homeopathy has encouraging results in this. U can consult online with details. 

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Dr. Hitesh Kumar AggarwalM.B.B.S., Diploma In Dermatology And Venerology And Leprosy (DDVL)Dermatologist

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First get your psoriasis work up done from nearby dermatologist. All routine blood investigation should be done and for arthritis xRay should be done along with arthritis markers and medication can be changed depending upon all reports and severity of the disease. And for urinary tract infection, consult internal medicine Physician after getting urine culture and sensitivity reports. 

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Dr. Rajiv BajajMBBS, MD - Internal Medicine, DM - Cardiology, Fellowship in EPCardiologist

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All NSAIDs increase risk of thrombosis. You should try alternative approach like diet for all around improvement. I suggest you discuss your diet on phone with me. Best wishes. 

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Dr. Jayvirsinh ChauhanMD - Homeopathy, BHMSHomeopath

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HI Sid... It is not helpful... the tonsils are like the check point for infections... and if you remove the check points then the infections have the open highways to spread to other parts of the body... Now it is your choice... as there is another option is homoeopathic treatment.. 

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