Treating and Managing Psoriatic Arthritis

Can I be cured?

Unfortunately, there is no clear cure for psoriatic arthritis. However, there are treatment options that can help you manage the disease.

What are my treatment options?

Once the diagnosis is confirmed various treatments can help decrease your pain and stiffness and increase your movement. Treatment of psoriatic arthritis is for both the skin condition and the arthritis. For mild psoriatic arthritis the treatment plan is comprised of medication, physiotherapy and daily-living adjustments. Your involvement in developing your prescribed treatment plan is essential.

There is no clear cure for psoriatic arthritis. Treatment is focused on minimizing pain and stiffness. This can be accomplished using methods such as:

• Rest. Proper rest is very important. By planning activities and rest times to avoid physical or emotional stress, it is possible to reduce the risk of flare ups. To avoid overwork, it is helpful to intersperse rest days with workdays. Carefully plan daily activities to allow enough time for rest in between.
• Exercise. Exercise is an important activity in managing psoriatic arthritis. Exercise helps keep joints moving and reduces pain. Activities such as swimming, walking and cross-country skiing don’t put added strain on your joints. Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates are good activities to participate in too. Avoid exercise that puts strain on your joints.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Eat a balanced diet full of protein, complex carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This will help support a healthy system that is able to combat flare-ups. A healthy body weight also reduces stress on your joints.
• Cold Compression Therapy Freezie Wraps interrupt pain signals and reduce inflammation. Psoriatic Arthritis immobilizes your joints by inducing swelling in the surrounding tissue.
  
  The deep cold provided by cold compression wraps slows this process. Cold wraps numb the nerves to reduce the pain. In the early stages of your infection, controlling inflammation is extremely important, especially because inflammation also strains the surrounding tissue causing more pain and damage. Once the infection is controlled, cold compression can help you relieve pain and inflammation due to the exercises you are required to perform for full joint recovery.
• Splinting To keep the joint from moving and can help ease the pain.

• Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy When your joint is inflamed, it needs the blood flow to promote recovery. Since you can't work your swollen joint without excruciating pain, you need to stimulate the blood flow another way. A very effective way of doing this is with the Inferno Wrap™ Blood Flow Stimulation Therpy. The healing energy from the patented "Energy Web" penetrates into your joint. As it is absorbed it stimulates blood flow and warms the inner tissue. It is perfectly safe, natural, and very effective. Our Inferno Wraps are true therapeutic and pain relieving devices. You can order an Inferno Wrap™ from MendMeShop to be sent to your home today!
• Ultrasound Therapy Ultrasound therapy is a great option to decrease inflammation, pain, tension and soft tissue damage experienced with Psoriatic Arthritis. You can administer your own therapy using a portable, home ultrasound device. The treatment is easy, painless, safe, and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes. It is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear).
  
  These waves send vibrations deep into your body and raise the temperature of your soft tissue. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and medicinal conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over the affected area. You may experience a slight tingling or warm sensation during the process as a result of the gel; this enhances the therapeutic effects of ultrasound (phonophoresis). You deserve specialized, professional care. Get your own ultrasound kit from MendMeShop.
• NSAIDs(Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), such as Indocin, Naproxen, Feldene, and Clinoril. NSAIDs reduce pain when taken at a low dose, and relieve inflammation when taken at a higher dose. Taking more than one NSAID at a time increases the possibility of side effects, particularly stomach problems such as heartburn, ulcers and bleeding.
• DMARDs(Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs), such as Azulfidine or Rheumatrex. DMARDs are often prescribed to relieve severe symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. These medications are designed to prevent it from getting worse, but do not reverse permanent joint damage. It will usually take several months for DMARDs to make a noticeable improvement in the inflammation.
• Corticosteroids. Cortisone is a steroid that reduces inflammation and swelling. An injection can provide rapid relief for a tender, swollen, and inflamed joint. However, this treatment can only be used periodically because excess corticosteroids can weaken the cartilage and bone.
• TNF(Tumor Necrosis Factor) blockers, such as Humira, Enbrel, and Remicade. These drugs block specific hormones which are involved in the inflammatory process. TNF drugs work quickly to ease inflammation and can be used in combination with other medications. TNF drugs work by suppressing your immune system which can make it slightly harder for you to fight off infections. Side effects include mild skin reactions at the injection site, headaches or dizziness, colds or sinus infections, and nausea or diarrhea.
• Anti-malarial medications. These have been shown to reduce both inflammation and flare-ups of psoriatic arthritis.
• Topical treatments. Creams are helpful to prevent your skin from drying out. Some moisturizers that work well include lanolin cream, light mineral oil, petroleum jelly, cocoa butter lotion or baby oil. Lotions containing coal tar work well for scaly patches or your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid cream. In the winter use a humidifier in your home.
• Physiotherapy. A physiotherapist can teach you exercises to do daily. Range of motion exercises reduce stiffness and help keep your joints moving. As well, a therapist can provide pain relief through movement and massage.
• Surgery. Potentially, in extreme cases, joint replacement surgery may be required if the damage to your joints is extensive.

Can it be prevented?

Since there is no clear cause and no cure, there are no measures to prevent the development of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

Along with the physical symptoms of arthritis, many people experience feelings of helplessness and depression. Learning daily living strategies to manage your arthritis gives you a greater feeling of control and a more positive outlook. To get the best results, people affected by arthritis need to form close ties with their doctors and therapists, and become full partners in their treatment. You can learn to live well with arthritis.

Do you have more questions?

If you have any questions regarding our therapeutic products and your treatment options, please contact a MendMeShop Advisor for assistance. You can be assured all your questions will be answered in a thorough and courteous manner by our trained staff.

Within Continental US and Canada call toll 1-866-237-9608

International Callers 705-445-3505

Email us at service@aidmyarthritis.com.

We strive to answer all emails within 24 hours. Often you will receive your response sooner.