Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

Psoriatic arthritis treatment is use to control the swelling and inflammation of the joints as well as reducing pain and discomfort. Psoriatic arthritis is basically is a type of inflammatory arthritis that, according to the doctors, affects around 20 to 30 percent of suffering from the chronic skin conditioned called psoriasis. This type of condition is said to genetically inherit therefore you can acquire this type of condition if your family has a history of psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis can develop at any age; nevertheless, on average it had a tendency to appear about 20 years after the first symptoms of psoriasis arthritis. Treatment should be given at the early signs of it to avoid further complication. Doctors give mostly oral medication for early stages of psoriasis arthritis.

There are five types of psoriasis arthritis:

1. Symmetric – This type of arthritis, which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the joints of both side of the body.
2. Asymmetric – This type affects around 40 percent of patients and is generally mild. This type does not affect the joints of both side of the body and it is usually only involves less than 3 joints.
3. Arthritis mutilans – This type affects 5 percent of patient and is a severe, destructive and deforming psoriatic arthritis, treatment on this type of arthritis usually involves joint injections with corticosteriod.
4. Spondylitis – This type of arthritis is characterized by stiffness of the neck or spine, but can also affect the feet and hands, in a similar fashion to asymmetric arthritis.
5. Distal interphalangeal predominant –This type of arthritis is found in about 8 percent of patients, and is characterized by stiffness and inflammation in the joints nearest to the ends of the toes and fingers.

The effects of psoriatic arthritis are swelling and inflammation; therefore treatments are directed at controlling and reducing inflammation. Naproxen and diclofenac are usually the fist line of medication. On the other hand, there are other treatments for this disease includes corticosteroids and joint injections. Psoriatic arthritis, treatment can also be surgery such as replacing the damage joints, cartilages and ligaments.