People with psoriatic arthritis almost always have psoriasis first, saya Francis C. Luk, MD, a rheumatologist at Advent Health in Hendersonville, North Carolina. “There is a small percentage of people who will actually get the arthritis first, but that’s a minority of cases,” says Luk.
Research estimates that about 30 percent of people with psoriasis go on to develop psoriatic arthritis. The first signs of arthritis are often swelling and pain in the hands, but the disease can cause early symptoms in other parts of the body, too. “Feet, knees, or ankles — pretty much any joint can be involved in the arthritis,” Luk says.
Aggressively treating psoriatic arthritis as soon as joint symptoms develop is vital, because the disease can cause permanent damage. “There can be erosion of the bones, usually near the joint spaces. When those erosions form, it can lead to decreased motion in that joint,” Luk says. “For example, if the arthritis is in the wrist, you could lose your ability to move your wrist back and forth. If it’s in your fingers, you could lose your ability to grip.” Once damage sets in, there’s not much you can do to reverse it, he adds.
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