Plaque Psoriasis With Joint Pain
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, 30% of people diagnosed with psoriasis (a skin condition that causes redness and irritation) develop a condition called psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis resembles other types of arthritis, causing pain and swelling around joints.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include tenderness and pain at joints, swollen or tender areas where ligaments attach to bones, stiffness upon rising and a reduced range of motion.
Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
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Although some people with psoriatic arthritis symptoms have never had a psoriasis flare on their skin, the National Psoriasis Foundation reports that 85 percent of those with psoriatic arthritis have had outbreaks prior to their joint pain---most commonly, plaque psoriasis.
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Connections
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It's not known why psoriasis causes psoriatic arthritis in some people. However, people who develop psoriatic arthritis have high levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the joints and skin, which causes the painful inflammation.
Diagnosis
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There is no special test to diagnose psoriatic arthritis, but if you have psoriasis, your health care provider will probably suspect it. Tests such as blood cultures, MRI, and X-ray may be ordered to rule out other conditions.
Considerations
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People with psoriatic arthritis usually experience "flares," or times of high activity of the disease, combined with remission, or symptom-free times, just as they usually do with their plaque psoriasis. They may also notice a correlation between times when the skin symptoms and the joint pain are more severe.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lenore Edman
