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Treatment for psoriatic arthritis depends on the severity of the condition. Basically management requires treatment for arthritis as well as psoriasis. Treatment generally involves a combination of exercise and medication.

Patient education is another aspect of management which is important as understanding of the condition ensures better compliance to treatment and therefore control of psoriatic arthritis.

Conditions that have been reported as accompanying a worsening of psoriatic arthritis include infections, stress, and changes in season and climate. Certain medicines such as beta blockers (a type of antihypertensive drug) have been reported to trigger or aggravate psoriasis.

Exercise is an important component of treatment. Low-impact exercises such as brisk walking, stretching, swimming and line dancing will increase mobility and reduce morning stiffness in joints. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, so as to reduce stress on joints, especially at the knees.

Keeping mobile will also help decrease pain, as exercise will strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint to support its movement as well as improve its range of motion.

Skin care is also key to good management of psoriatic arthritis. Keeping the skin soft and moist is helpful such as applying moisturisers after bathing. Topical creams or moisturisers, such as Vitamin D or steroid cream, help to keep skin moisturised and prevent drying, flaking and itching.

Some psoriatic patients may need PUVA (psoralen plus long-wave ultraviolet A light) therapy, which slows cell growth and keeps psoriasis in check. This is a combination of a prescription medicine psoralen, taken either in tablet form or added to a bath, plus exposure to type A ultraviolet light. Therapy usually consists of 20 to 30 treatments over several weeks, under strict medical supervision.

Avoid carrying heavy things or undertake activities which may cause a strain to the affected joints. If the wrist and fingers joints are affected with arthritis, it may be beneficial to wear a splint at night or a working splint during the day for joint support.

People who have psoriatic arthritis can still have a good quality life. What matters more is having the knowledge to tackle social misconceptions about this condition. People must first know that psoriasis is not infectious.

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Psoriasis symptoms are scaly and dried skin. Thus in order to care for the skin conditions, one must take action to ensure the skin is moist at all time to reduce the formation of flacky skin.

Natural Dead Sea Salt

Take frequent bath to help remove scales especially on the scalp and to make the skin damp. Try to avoid harsh soaps, use soap-substitutes that are milder for your skin.

Unprocess Coal Tar

Add over-the-counter tar solutions, bath oil, oatmeal, Epsom salts and Dead Sea salts to your bath.

Moisturizer

Use moisturizers after bathing and periodically during the day. These may not clear the psoriasis, but will help reduce itching and retain moisture in the skin. A simple yet effective way is to apply petroleum jelly on the affected area to keep the skin moist.

Petroleum Jelly

Other natural products you can try as moisturizers are aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil or natural vegetable oils. They are a natural and relatively inexpensive way to moisturize the skin.

Aloe Vera

Jojoba Seed

Take Vitamin C (2,000 to 5,000 mg a day) in divided doses. It is necessary for immune system function and for formation of collagen and skin tissue.

Vitamin C

Follow a healthy diet and stay at the right weight. Being overweight may make psoriasis worse.

Decrease or eliminate red meat and dairy products. They contain arachidonic acid, a substance that can cause inflammation and, in turn, make your psoriasis lesions swollen and red.

According to oriental medicine, avoid strong aroma beans such as peanuts and the seeds of parkia speciosa (also known as “stink bean” in Asia) , seafoods such as prawns and chicken meat.

As psoriasis are also link to auto immune reactions, try to eliminate certain foods to find out which food that can cause your psoriasis symptoms to worsen.  One methods is to totally exclude certain group of food (example: meat) and then re-introduce one food item at a time to find out which particular food in the group can cause a negative reaction to your psoriasis.

Parkia Speciosa

Parkia Speciosa seeds

It is unknown why many psoriasis patients symptoms reduces (some even cleared) after they stop consuming chicken meat. It could be due to the use of growth hormone in paultry farming although it is yet to proven clinically.

Chicken Farm

Natural sunlight has been shown to sigificantly improve, or clear, psoriasis. Get regular daily doses, but keep them short and avoid the sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when the rays are strongest.

Mild Sun Exposure

Keep a record of your outbreaks. Psoriasis typically flares up and then improves. Write down what you were doing, eating, or what was going on in your life at the time of a flare-up. Triggers to flare-ups include stress, tension, illness, sunburn, certain drugs and alcohol.

Drugs

Alcoholic Products

The above self care is for mild and moderate psoriasis. See your doctor if you have severe psoriasis or if self care measures are not helpful.

Related Posts:

• Psoriasis FAQs
• Managing Psoriatic Arthritis
• Introduction to Psoriasis
• Psoriasis and Emotional Impact
• Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs