Psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis and joint pain.  Symptoms can include the following: inflamed skin, joint pain and swelling, stiffness, difficulty breathing, heart problems, inflammation in tendons and ligaments, swollen fingers and toes, dented nails and/or nails that pull away from the bed. Many of these are similar to rheumatoid arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis pain is a lifelong condition and often deteriorates over time.  Most people (approximately 70 percent) develop psoriasis before they develop psoriatic arthritis. 

People with arthritis pain often experience a variety of physical symptoms.  In psoriatic arthritis, the affected joints frequently feel hot to the touch and are often purplish in color.  Frequently, the first signs of psoriatic arthritis come from pain in the hand, foot or elbow, i.e. tennis elbow.  Sometimes psoriatic arthritis pain is felt in the back, neck or shoulder.

There are five types of psoriatic arthritis that target different areas of the body.  These are broken down by psoriatic arthritis pain in the following areas:

  • Joints (a few at a time)
  • Spine
  • Finger and Toes
  • Symmetrical Joints
  • Destructive Joint Arthritis (particularly the fingers)

While the exact cause of psoriatic arthritis in unknown, there are some risk factors that increases the chance of someone developing the disease.  These include the following psoriatic arthritis risk factors:

  • Family History
  • Infections
  • Trauma
  • Age (The disease generally attacks people between the ages of 30 to 50.)
  • Pre-existing psoriasis

Psoriatic arthritis pain varies in intensity.  Many people often experience pain in a digit or hand while others can become severely disabled due to the pain involved with psoriatic arthritis.  Approximately 1 million are living with psoriatic arthritis within the United States.

Dealing with the pain associated with psoriatic arthritis is a lifelong fight, and much research has been dedicated to arthritis pain.  There is no cure for psoriatic arthritis, but there are some treatments that can significantly help the affected person.  The following psoriatic arthritis pain treatments have been effective for many people with the disease: