Arthritis is a condition that affects the joints?the cushioning surfaces between bones?that leads to pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced range of motion. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of the disease that causes not only sore and swollen joints, but also patches of red and silvery scales, called plaques, to form on the skin.
Lifestyle changes such as starting an exercise program can also help people manage psoriatic arthritis. Exercise is a good way to maintain flexibility and range of motion in the joints. Walking, cycling, swimming, and yoga are all low-impact exercises that strengthen joints.
About 15 percent of people with the skin condition, psoriasis, will also develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is caused by an overactive immune response, which attacks the joints and leads to the excess production of skin cells. The joints?especially those in the fingers, toes, spine, and pelvis?become inflamed. Excess skin cells die, slough off, and form scaly patches on the skin. Some people also develop nail changes like pits in the nail or a separation of the nail from its bed. Skin symptoms usually start before the joints become affected.
Treatment for psoriatic arthritis aims to slow disease progression, bring down swelling, reduce pain, and prevent permanent joint damage. Often the first step is to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) to control pain and swelling. Some people with psoriatic arthritis take disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow the rate of joint damage. These medicines include sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall, Otrexup), or leflunomide (Arava). Recently introduced biologic drugs such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), golimumab (Simponi), and infliximab (Remicade) treat both psoriatic arthritis joint inflammation and skin psoriasis. These drugs target a protein called tumor necrosis alpha-factor (TNF-alpha), which contributes to the development of psoriatic arthritis.
When you picture someone with gout, you may think of an older, overweight man who likes his burgers and Budwieser—and that wouldn’t be inaccurate. Being male and eating a diet that’s high in red meat, seafood, and alcohol—particularly beer—are common risk factors for gout.
But gout also can be a painful,
There are more than 100 types of arthritis. The two most common causes of chronic disabling arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and each has its own chapter in this report. In this chapter, we look at other common types of arthritis: gout, pseudogout, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis
There are more than 100 types of arthritis, so when it comes to diagnosis the first challenge is to determine the cause of the inflammation. The second challenge is to evaluate the extent of tissue involvement and level of disease. For example, is there an acute and self-limiting inflammation of
If you have pain, stiffness, warmth, swelling, or redness in a joint or joints, you may well have arthritis. Arthritis is defined as inflammation of one or more joints. It is the most common cause of disability in the United States, affecting more than 54 million Americans (about one in
Dear Reader,
If you suffer from arthritis (a group of diseases characterized by inflammation of a joint or joints) you are in good company—over 54 million Americans have arthritis. You may be reading this report because you want to learn more about your condition and how best to manage it, or
Among the infinite number of conditions that could do harm to your skin are the 30+ discussed in this chapter. They range (alphabetically) from athlete’s foot to wrinkles.
Athlete’s Foot
Bacterial and fungal infections (including athlete’s foot) develop because feet spend a lot of time in the perfect breeding ground of warm,
Our skin is our body’s largest and fastest-growing organ—it protects us from harmful bacteria, keeps us warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot, and allows us to feel the outside world through the nerves that exist beneath it. But sometimes our immune system, which is also meant to
Joint inflammation is easily recognizable—it’s a condition that affects 80 percent of the world’s population. You’ll know inflammation by its symptoms: pain, warmth, redness, swelling, and perhaps loss of joint function. The symptoms are uncomfortable but manageable with rest, ice, compression, elevation—the classic “RICE” treatment—and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like
Our ankles are complex structures composed of four bones, the tibia and fibula (bones of the lower leg), the calcaneus (heel bone), and the talus (a small bone between the tibia, fibula and calcaneus), along with multiple tendons and ligaments.
Cushioning between the bones in the ankle is provided by
Q: My mother has been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica. What is it, and can it be treated with anything other than steroids?
A: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness at various sites. The shoulders are the most common site of pain, but the neck, upper
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