What is Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)?
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Chronic inflammation causes symptoms including joint pain & skin plaques.
PsA is a condition that happens when your body's defense system mistakenly attacks your joints and skin, causing ongoing swelling and discomfort. It's a type of inflammation that is chronic—lasting a long time and can affect your joints and skin in harmful ways. People may experience joint pain, difficulty moving, and skin plaques. If left untreated, permanent joint damage may occur over time with PsA.
30%
OF PEOPLE WITH Ps MAY LATER DEVELOP PsA
When your body's immune system becomes too active, it can lead to swelling and pain in your joints. This can make your joints feel stiff and swollen, and it can also cause patches of red and scaly skin called plaques. These plaques happen because there's too much swelling in your body.
PsA is different than rheumatoid arthritis.
It can be confusing to know if your symptoms are related to PsA or rheumatoid arthritis because the characteristics are similar. One key difference between the two is rheumatoid arthritis does not present with plaques, whereas PsA often presents alongside plaques on the skin.
Only a doctor can provide a diagnosis. Talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.
How is PsA diagnosed?
Diagnosing PsA starts with you.
No single exam can determine diagnosis. It is important to provide your doctor with details about the symptoms you are experiencing. Tell your doctor if your joints are stiff, sore, or if movement causes pain. Sharing details will help your doctor understand how you’re doing, while allowing them to provide you with the earliest possible diagnosis.
Your doctor may examine your skin for plaques as well as your joints, looking for signs of joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. They may check your fingernails. A blood test, X-ray, or MRI may be used to help pinpoint a source of pain or inflammation.
- How much time you spend trying to treat your PsA
- Where you are experiencing discomfort or joint pain
- If your joint pain is impacting your daily activities
How is PsA treated?
There are a variety of treatments.
Some people use over-the-counter products, while others get one or more treatments prescribed by a doctor. These include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can relieve pain and reduce inflammation (ie, ibuprofen, aspirin).
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that can be used to slow the progression of psoriatic arthritis.
- Immunosuppressants are medications that reduce the activity of the immune system that can manage the long-lasting inflammation that is linked to psoriatic arthritis.
- Biologics, like SKYRIZI, that target key parts of the immune system that are linked to causing inflammation.
Talk to your doctor about your PsA treatment journey, and ask if SKYRIZI may be right for you.
