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Psoriatic Arthritis Knowledge Base for You

The information on this web site is based strictly on my personal, non-professional experience, and is in no way intended to be a substitute for supervision by a trained medical practitioner.  Take what you like and leave the rest.



General Information

There are over 100 different varieties of arthritis.  PA happens to be one of the more rare, and destructive, versions of it.  Like most forms of arthritis, the medical community really does not know what causes it, or how to treat it directly, but they know how to treat the symptoms.  PA is most closely related to rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis is a very insidious disease.  It is the result of a confused immune system, which sees the joint tissue as "bad stuff", so it attacks and destroys the joint tissue.  This is undoubtedly the most frustrating part of the illness... your own body is destroying itself.  To treat arthritis, the best solution the medical community has come up with so far is to suppress the immune system.

Since the treatment process of choice is immune system suppression, there are basically two battles going on.  The arthritis is attacking the joint tissue, and the drugs are attacking the immune system.  Combine this with chronic exposure to pain (sometimes at very debilitating levels), and you can end up with one very exhausted person.

In addition to joint degeneration, PA suffers have the added annoyance of a psoriasis condition.

The best guesses as to what causes PA are a genetic predisposition and/or environmental issues.

So if you know anyone with a severe case of arthritis, particularly PA, be prepared to deal with one very frustrated individual.

Counterproductive or Wasted Treatments

Be careful what you do to help yourself.

Echinacea
This is a popular natural treatment for building the immune system.  Well meaning folks who see you suffering will suggest you try this.  Think about it.  What good will come of taking an immune system builder when you are being given drugs to break down your immune system?

Glucosamine/Chondroitin
This is another item many well meaning folks will try to put you onto.  All the R-Docs I've consulted told me that with my specific condition I'd be wasting my money with this product.

The Toll of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is exhausting.  If you do not get relief it will wear you down till you have nothing left to give.  It can make you really mean and cranky.  It will interrupt your sleep patterns which further exhausts you.  It turns your life upside down and inside out.  You have to relearn how to do many simple tasks, like opening doors.  You will find yourself feeling very abnormal, trying to function in a world designed for "normal" people.


updated: April 2005