Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment - What Should You Expect?

Psoriatic arthritis treatment drugs come in several categories. There are the nonsteroidal drugs that combat inflammation, commonly known as NSAIDs. There are the anti-rheumatic drugs that modify the disease, commonly known as DMARDs, and there's also the biologics made from animal or human proteins. In addition to these, there are a number of natural, or alternative remedies that have known success in some people.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that affects some 2 percent of the population. It is a chronic condition having little impact for those only slightly affected, and a considerable social and domestic impact for those heavily affected. Not all psoriasis sufferers require psoriatic arthritis treatment as the condition only affects some 10 to 30 percent of the group as a whole.

The disease develops at different rates for different people. If you already have skin psoriasis, and you also have joint pain, especially if the two coincide on the same joint, then you should inform your physician as soon as possible, for you may have developed psoriatic arthritis and require treatment.

Treatment for this condition is aimed at reducing the pain and the associated swelling. It also aims to maintain fluid and natural movement in the joints, which in turn helps to prevent any further damage. The treatment recommended by your doctor will depend on the severity of the condition, your reaction to the treatment, and the type of psoriatic arthritis that you have.

French physician, Baron Jean Louis Alibert, was the first to describe psoriatic arthritis. It took almost 140 years, however, to be classified as an particular arthritic disease in its own right. Psoriatic arthritis treatment can sometimes be delayed because the condition is wrongly diagnosed as being gout. It is important, however, that the correct form of arthritis is diagnosed as the necessary treatments differ substantially.