She Strengthens

Taking Control of Psoriatic Arthritis

Living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can be unpredictable and challenging. One day you may feel fine, and the next, you may be exhausted and in pain. While occasional flare-ups are normal, it’s essential to identify triggers, manage symptoms, and explore treatments to regain control and improve your quality of life.

Understanding PsA

PsA is an autoimmune condition that affects your skin and joints, causing inflammation and dry, dead skin or patches of redness or discoloration. There is no cure, but various treatments are available to manage symptoms.

Monitoring Your Condition

To better understand your PsA, keep a symptom journal, trigger journal, and flare-up journal. These journals will help you identify patterns and triggers, allowing you to take proactive steps to manage your condition.

At-Home Treatments

Before trying medication, consider these at-home treatments:

• Manage Stress: Stress is a significant trigger for PsA. Practice meditation, take breaks, and prioritize relaxation to reduce stress.
• Eat a Balanced Diet: Focus on nutrient-dense foods, avoiding processed snacks, fatty foods, alcohol, and sugar. A healthy diet can help reduce inflammation and improve overall health.
• Get Moving: Regular exercise can reduce inflammation, increase mobility, and improve mood. Start slowly and work up to 20-30 minutes of exercise per day, 3-5 days a week.
• Light Therapy: UVB light therapy can slow skin cell growth and manage dry, red, or discolored patches.
• NSAIDs: Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

Medical Treatments

If at-home treatments don’t provide relief, consider medical treatments:

• Treat-to-Target: This approach involves regular appointments with your doctor to target a specific outcome, adjusting medication or dosage as needed.
• Methotrexate: A disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) that blocks a specific chemical causing inflammation.
• Biologics: Genetically engineered DMARDs that target specific points in the inflammation cascade, including TNF-alpha inhibitors, IL-12/23 inhibitors, T-cell inhibitors, and IL-23 inhibitors.

Finding the Right Treatment

It may take time to find the right treatment for your PsA. Be patient, and work closely with your doctor to identify triggers, manage symptoms, and explore various treatments. Remember to stay committed to your treatment plan, even when symptoms subside, to prevent flare-ups.

Living Well with PsA

By understanding your condition, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and staying in contact with your doctor, you can manage PsA and improve your quality of life. Don’t be discouraged by occasional flare-ups – stay proactive, and work towards finding a treatment plan that works for you.