 what is psoriatic arthritis  psoriatic arthritis is a condition that causes swelling and pain in and around the joints it can affect a number of joints including the fingers wrists toes knees ankles elbows and shoulder joints as well as the spine and lower back joints psoriatic arthritis also affects tissues surrounding the joints such as the tendons and ligaments this form of arthritis may cause a swelling of the whole digit called sausage finger or toe it also may cause skin inflammation particularly on the elbows knees and scalp psoriatic arthritis is linked to psoriasis a disorder causing areas of the skin to become inflamed and be covered with silvery or grey scales psoriatic arthritis is a less common form of arthritis it affects both men and women in equal numbers usually between the ages of 20 and 50 thirty percent of people affected with psoriasis will also get psoriatic arthritis although psoriasis may start at any age commonly in the late teens the arthritis component usually develops in ones 20 s through 40 s the other types of psoriatic arthritis include tendonitis swelling of the tendons and enteritis pain and swelling at sites where tendons and ligaments attach to the bone common examples of these conditions are heel spurs tennis elbow and tendonitis of the achilles tendon cord at the back of the heel psoriatic arthritis will generally develop in one of two ways localized mild psoriatic arthritis develops slowly with mild symptoms and affects less than five joints people with this type of psoriatic arthritis will often live without symptoms for an extended period of time generalized disabling psoriatic arthritis is a more serious form of the disease that affects five or more joints at the same time this form of the disease will often lead to permanent joint damage and disability and requires medication early in severe cases surgery and rehabilitation may be required while no one knows for sure what causes psoriatic arthritis it is known that heredity plays a big role children of parents with psoriasis are three times more likely to develop it if an identical twin has psoriasis then there is a 75 chance the other twin suffer from it as well other possible causes of psoriatic arthritis are exposure to infection or changes in the environment at this time there is no cure for psoriatic arthritis therefore treatment is designed to minimize pain and stiffness establishing the correct diagnosis early on is very important because most therapies work best when started early in the disease however this form of arthritis is similar to other forms such as gout reiter s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis therefore your doctor may order in addition to a physical examination various tests xrays are often ordered to look for changes in the bone blood and joint fluid tests may be done to rule out other conditions once the diagnosis is confirmed then the exact treatment s will be prescribed to help decrease your pain and stiffness while increasing ones rom 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 dailyliving adjustments medications that are prescribed to reduce pain and swelling include but are not limited to coated acetylsalicylic acid ibuprofen various cox2 inhibitors gold salts methotrexate sulfasalazine leflunomide hydroxychloroquinine chloroquinine and azathioprine corticosteroids which resemble cortisone a hormone naturally produced by the body are also used to decrease the pain and swelling corticosteroids are given as an injection into one or more joints or other areas of inflammation the most common form of treatment is prednisone properly caring for your skin will help one manage his her symptoms however if a person suspects having severe psoriasis then they should see a dermatologist right away another way to help manage skin symptoms is to monitor ones exposure to sunlight light therapy has been used in the treatment of psoriasis it consists of a medication called psoralen along with exposure to type a ultraviolet light typically 2030 treatments over several weeks under medical supervision will produce favorable results in addition to the prior there are different types of exercises that one can perform as a way to lessen pain and stiffness associated with the disease the following are some examples range of motion exercises reduces stiffness and keeps your joints moving strengthening exercises maintain or increase muscle strength endurance exercises strengthen your heart give you energy and control your weight these exercises include things like walking swimming and cycling moderate stretching exercises help relieve the pain and keep the muscles and tendons around an affect joint flexible and strong some people with severe advanced psoriatic arthritis may require surgery or if one of your joints becomes badly damaged surgery for psoriatic arthritis usually is done to replace a joint with a prosthetic joint benefits include less pain better movement and function if you suspect you may have some signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis contact your doctor for a consult  getting comfort  