How To Identify The Different Types Of Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis. It causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness that can lead to disability if left untreated. While it shares some similarities with other forms of arthritis, there are several distinct types of psoriatic arthritis that have their own unique characteristics. Identifying the type you have is important for getting the right treatment and managing your condition effectively.

1. Symmetric Psoriatic Arthritis: This is the most common type of psoriatic arthritis and affects both sides of your body in a symmetrical pattern – meaning if one knee or elbow is affected, so too will the other. Symptoms include pain and swelling in joints such as fingers, wrists, knees and ankles, as well as lower back pain.

2. Asymmetric Psoriatic Arthritis: Unlike symmetric psoriatic arthritis which affects both sides equally, asymmetric psoriatic arthritis typically only affects one side of your body at a time – usually in just one or two joints such as the knee or elbow. This form can also cause inflammation in tendons around the affected joint which can result in pain when moving it.

3. Distal Interphalangeal Predominant (DIP) Psoriatic Arthritis: This form mainly affects small joints such as those found at the end of fingers and toes (known as distal interphalangeal joints). It causes stiffness and swelling at these sites but rarely involves larger joints like shoulders or hips like other forms do.

4. Spondylitis: Spondylitis refers to inflammation in your spine which can lead to backache and stiffness in your neck or lower back area (usually worse first thing in the morning). It’s more common among those with severe cases of psoriasis but can occur even if you don’t have skin lesions present on your body yet still have active disease elsewhere such as on nails or scalp areas for example..

5 .Arthritis Mutilans: Considered to be one of the most severe forms of psoriatic arthritis; this type has an aggressive course that can lead to deformity and disability if left untreated for too long due to progressive joint destruction caused by chronic inflammation at sites such as wrists, fingers and toes - leading them to become shortened over time due to bone erosion caused by this condition..

It’s important that you get diagnosed correctly so you receive appropriate treatment for your condition; therefore seeing a rheumatologist who specialises in treating patients with inflammatory diseases is recommended if you suspect you may have any form of psoriatic arthritis - they will help identify what type it is based on clinical examination along with any additional tests they may need such as X-rays etc., before prescribing medication accordingly depending on what stage/type it is..

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Psoriatic Arthritis, Joint Pain, Swelling, Stiffness, Disability, Symmetric Psoriatic Arthritis, Asymmetric Psoriatic Arthritis, Distal Interphalangeal Predominant (DIP) Psoriatic Arthritis, Spondylitis, Arthritis Mutilans, Rheumatologist,

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