Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (Ps.A.) can be a challenging condition, but understanding its symptoms, causes, and treatment options can help you live a very full life following a diagnosis. Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells. This leads to chronic inflammation, which causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. People of any age can develop psoriatic arthritis, but the condition typically affects individuals between 30 and 50 years old, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Many people with psoriatic arthritis also have psoriasis, another autoimmune disease that is characterized by inflamed, itchy, and sometimes scaly lesions, rashes, or plaques on the skin, among other symptoms. Typically, psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed before psoriasis, according to Anca Askanase, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of rheumatology clinical trials at Columbia University Medical Center. Psoriatic arthritis affects roughly 20% to 30% of people with psoriasis¹.

Like most other autoimmune conditions, people with psoriatic arthritis may experience flares, in which symptoms worsen, and periods of very low disease activity or even remission, when there are no signs or symptoms of active disease^2,3. But even when someone reaches remission, their psoriatic arthritis symptoms can return.

Although psoriatic arthritis doesn’t have a cure, you can prevent long-lasting joint damage and feel more in control of your health with the right treatment plan.

Many people with psoriatic arthritis also have psoriasis.

Amanda K Bailey

Experts know that psoriatic arthritis is more common in people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis and among individuals who have family members with psoriatic disease. (With that said, that doesn’t mean either scenario directly causes psoriatic arthritis.) In fact, roughly 40% of people with psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis have a family history of one of these conditions, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research^4.

Experts believe this correlation suggests that genetics may explain why some people develop psoriatic arthritis. In particular, a family of genes called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, may be involved with psoriatic arthritis. (These help your immune system distinguish between proteins normally found in your body and those made by viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.) Some variations of HLA genes are associated with psoriatic arthritis.

Environmental factors may increase someone’s chances of developing psoriatic arthritis too. For example, some researchers believe that injuries that damage the muscle or bone might trigger psoriatic arthritis in people who already have risk factors for the condition, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Psoriatic arthritis affects people in different ways. Symptoms can vary by day, get better and then worsen, and manifest in different areas of the body. Psoriatic arthritis symptoms partially depend on the particular type you are diagnosed with, but can include:

• Swollen, stiff, and painful joints, particularly in the hands, feet, and hips⁵
• Swollen fingers and toes
• Inflammatory issues involving tendons, muscles, and ligaments, including Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis
• Joints that look inflamed or reddened and feel warm
• Fatigue
• Nail pitting
• Separation of the nails from the nail bed
• Eye inflammation or redness
• Scaly and inflamed skin patches or lesions
• Lower back pain and stiffness

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