arthritis with psoriasis ???

Question:
I write today to ask a question about arthritis with psoriasis. I do not have P myself but my brother does. He recently was told that there is some kind of arthritis that is associated with P?

Answer:
I write today to ask a question about arthritis with psoriasis. I do not have P myself but my brother does. He recently was told that there is some kind of arthritis that is associated with P? I have never heard of anything about it and would love to help see him get some relief. If anyone has heard of it, I would love to know more ! Unfortunately the prognosis isn't necessarily that great (nor is it a death sentence). Psoriatic arthritis is a capricious thing - in some people it can clear up without any treatment at all (as it did in my father before I was born). With others it can be a relentless destroyer despite all the best efforts of medical science. In the briefest of terms, PA is a condition that arises when the external skin condition affects the membranes inside a person's joints. While it's possible to remove flakes of dandruff from your scalp with a stiff-bristled brush, clearing the debris in a person's joints is much harder, and unfortunately the condition in joints can be just as persistent as it is when it affects the skin. Treatments for PA are similar to those for other auto-immune-disorder forms of inflamatory arthritis - anti-inflamatory drugs, and disease modifying drugs like MTX (a chemotherapy drug that inhibits cell growth), and Cyclosporin (an immuno-suppressant drug commonly given to organ transplant recipients). There are also the usual raftload of folk remedies and alternative medicine - from herbs to dietary supplements to magnetic bracelets. Along with psoriatic arthritis, there is also psoriatic spondylitis. Mine went undiagnosed for years. If your brother has psoriasis of the nails, then he's more prone to psoriatic arthritis. This often shows up in the fingers and toes. If your brother complains of a lot of back pain, chest pain, or hip pain, then he should ask his doctor about psoriatic spondylitis. The thing to be aware of in thes latter type is joint fusion. Everyone's arthritis is different. It takes a lot of experince to learn how to deal with one's arthritis. The best thing your brother can do is become educated about the different medications and/or alternative therapies out there.