Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment
Psoriasis Arthritis Treatments are aimed at keeping the inflammation of joints under control, improving mobility of joints with strengthening muscles around affected joints. Regular exercise told by physiotherapist is necessary. These things help patients to maintain optimum mobility.
Many times, these patients can get acute exacerbations of psoriasis as well as PsA with severe joint pains, immobility, flaking, swelling of joints & distress while doing routine chores ….at a point of time they become bedridden due to pain.
Since it is a lifetime disorder, bearing with the disease without disturbing routine, or adapting to the situation skillfully is very essential. Proper treatment & acceptance of disease &disability, adaptation to the disability with the help of support of family is very much rewarding for patients of Psoriatic arthritis.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder with strong genetic basis, often manifested on the skin as ‘well-demarcated raised red plaques with a white scaly surface’
Psoriasis Arthritis Causes
30% of Patients with psoriatic skin lesions develop Psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is a type of psoriasis. It is caused due to immune-mediated inflammation at different joints in the body. It is associated with skin lesions of psoriasis, nail psoriasis, & uveitis i.e. eye inflammation (uvea)
Psoriatic Arthritis can also occur in patients who don’t have skin psoriasis, in those cases the family history of psoriasis & a negative Rheumatoid factor in blood a test can guide the physician to suspect psoriatic arthritis in patients with joint pains.
Psoriasis or Psoriatic arthritis both are not caused due to any infection. Although a bacterial infection caused due to streptococci can cause throat pain, fever, throat inflammation and later trigger Psoriasis or Psoriatic arthritis.
Long-standing stress either mental or physical, can trigger Psoriatic arthritis in susceptible individuals.
Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is manifested as a stiff sensation in joints with the pain while the movement of affected joint, which over a period becomes a persistent symptom.
Later with the progression of disease patient gets swelling, redness around the painful joint, difficulty in joint movement. Less mobility of joints causes muscles around joints to become weak, this leads to muscle aches & pains, and it disables the patient to do his routine work.
The swelling is often huge which gives a sausage shape to affected joints.
Types of Psoriatic Arthritis
a) The larger joints may get affected in a bilaterally symmetrical manner. It is called symmetric Psoriatic arthritis. The most common site is bilateral knees. Almost 50% of patients of psoriatic arthritis suffer from this variety of psoriatic arthritis. This variety can be very disabling causing difficulty to do daily activities like walking, bathing, dressing, cooking etc.
b) In an asymmetric type of psoriatic arthritis only one or two asymmetrical joints may get involved. It is a milder form of PsA. Almost 35% of patients of psoriatic arthritis suffers from this variety of psoriatic arthritis.
c) Distal interphalangeal predominant Psoriatic arthritis commonly affects distal joints of fingers & toes.
(dactylitis) i.e. joints which are close to your nails, resulting in a sausage-shaped swelling of the distal knuckle. This variety affects 10 % of PsA patients.
d) PsA can affect back & sacroiliac joints, the patient may get restricted movements at the neck, lower back, or at thighs & buttocks. They can also feel pain while moving neck, bending forward, climbing steps, sitting down, at hip region. It is called spondylitis PsA & it’s a rare variety of PsA.
e) At the final stage of the disease due to long-standing inflammation affected joints may get deformity. This is called Psoriatic Arthritis mutilans. Joints of hands & feet are commonly affected in this variety of PsA.
It occurs in 5% of PsA patients. Persistent inflammation of psoriasis can cause joint damage.
Diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis
Blood tests (ESR, CRP) determine the extent of inflammation, a blood test measuring rheumatic factor in serum is essential to rule out if Rheumatoid arthritis is the cause of persistent joint pains. Imaging studies like X-Ray, CT scan, MRI, can determine the extent of joint involvement & damage due to deformities.
Prognosis & Impact of Psoriatic Arthritis
Each and every patient of psoriatic arthritis doesn’t get deformity & disablement. It depends on the genetic predisposition of each individual, the amount of physical & mental stress he/she is facing, the age at which symptoms are started & the age at which proper treatment is being started & how regularly it is followed.
The way in which psoriatic arthritis causes disability, many patients are unable to do their daily chores like bathing, dressing. Many tend to leave their job& become confined at home. This brings on fatigue, low feeling, depression, aches & pains, frustration.
These things hamper the quality of life of the patient. It is so incapacitating disorder that if you are suffering from psoriasis or any of your family member in blood relation is suffering from psoriasis & when you experience the symptom of any joint ache & pain, to avoid future disability, you need to take care of it by seeking proper treatment.
By proper care & treatment, you can avoid the disability & disfigurement also you can avoid further complications.
Psoriasis Arthritis Treatments at Psoriatreat Clinics
At Psoriatreat we take very good care of the patient & treat every dimension of disease. With the help of homoeopathic treatment without any side effect, this autoimmune disorder can be kept under well control. Normalizing the life of Psoriasis patient is the mission with which every person at Psoriatreat works.
The damage this disease has caused at mental & physical level of the patient has always been considered while treating patient as a whole.
A thorough homoeopathic case study; knowing the patient’s physical & mental vulnerabilities; knowing the triggers of disease & exacerbations in each & every patient; analyzing the case thoroughly & then selecting a proper homoeopathic medicine with the help of specially designed software; treating the root cause of sufferings; guiding patients regarding how to adapt to the situations physically as well as mentally – are some of the unique features of the treatment of Psoriasis & Psoriatic arthritis at Psoriatreat.
Dr R.S. Sonawane has the expertise of 35 years in the field of Psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is a disabling type of Psoriasis. His expertise in the disorder of Psoriasis surely helps the person suffering from this disfiguring & distressing condition of Psoriatic arthritis to regain his quality of life safely without side effects.
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