Julie has psoriasis. It is in front of the camera and with humor that she tells us about her experiences and her daily life. In this seventh episode of “Julie Has Pso”Julie met Marie, a patient also suffering from psoriasis and in particular from psoriatic arthritis…
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
Marie has had psoriasis since she was a child. As an adult, she began to feel joint pain in the back, shoulders, hands and knees. Then one day, the diagnosis fell: she suffers from psoriatic arthritis. The pain felt occurs at night, at the end of the day or in the morning, this is called inflammatory hourly pain. “In short, we have pain in the joints like the old, except that we are young”, sums up Marie.
Certain parts of the body affected by psoriasis, such as the nails, scalp or intergluteal fold, are more closely associated with the occurrence of psoriatic arthritis. “For probably genetic reasons, 15 to 20% of people with psoriasis also develop joint psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. This affects the spine and/or peripheral joints,” explains Dr Anne-Claire Fougerousse, dermatologist at Bégin Hospital (Val-de-Marne).
Tailoring Psoriasis Treatment
The diagnosis is usually suspected by the dermatologist. “But it is strongly advised to see a rheumatologist to confirm it, because other diseases can look like psoriatic arthritis”, specifies the dermatologist. Moreover, the fact of developing this aspect of the disease tends to modify the choice of the initial treatment against psoriasis. ” Some psoriasis medications are for example more effective in treating rheumatism. The choice will also depend on the type of joints affected”. The dermatologist and the rheumatologist will then be able to choose the most suitable treatment together.
The treatment of psoriatic arthritis is based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and infiltrations. In the event of failure and if the spine is affected, the French rheumatology society recommends the use of biotherapies, i.e. the injection of anti-inflammatories. If the attack is peripheral, that is to say felt only in the limbs, oral medications, such as Methotrexate, may be sufficient.
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Psoriasis: treatments explained by a patient
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