The Connection Between Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that can develop in people that have psoriasis. In this video, Jennifer Caudle, DO, explains the relationship between the two chronic diseases and gives tips for managing joint pain.

Transcript

00:00

I have psoriatic arthritis, and I'm looking for some advice.

00:06

Why is it called psoriatic? Is it related to psoriasis? Well, I really love this question because it's not exactly obvious.

00:14

So psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that usually develops in people who have skin psoriasis.

00:20

They're both chronic diseases that deal with the immune system and the messages it sends to the rest of the body. Now, a quick primer on psoriasis.

00:28

If you're suffering from psoriasis, your immune system is overreacting and sending out messages that cause inflammation and quicken

00:35

the growth of skin cells, resulting in abnormal changes to the skin. But it can manifest on the skin as red patches covered

00:43

with silvery scales called plaques and can also appear as pustules, or areas of redness and swelling.

00:50

More than 8 million people suffer from psoriasis in the United States, and up to one in three people who have psoriasis

00:56

develop psoriatic arthritis. Although in some cases, it can develop even if you don't have psoriasis.

01:03

With psoriatic arthritis, the same inflammation causing messages sent by the overactive immune system with psoriasis causes swelling and pain in your joints

01:12

and in what are called in entheses, the place where your tendons and ligaments connect to bone. Most commonly, psoriatic arthritis

01:18

affects what are called peripheral joints. These are the joints like your elbows and your wrists and might even swell your fingers and your toes

01:26

so much that they look like sausages. They can also affect the spine, the hips, and shoulders.

01:32

Untreated psoriatic arthritis can permanently damage your joints. So it's good to see a doctor if you're experiencing

01:38

symptoms that worry you. So work with your health care provider to find the best choice for you.