Treatments - Psoriatic Arthritis

Although psoriatic arthritis is a chronic long term condition with no cure, there are many effective treatments to manage and control it. Depending on your individual circumstances your may be offered some of the following different types of treatments. (Please note these are listed alphabetically and not in the order use, and is for reference only. Always follow your health care provider's advice).

Biologics are a recent addition to the clinician’s list of prescribable drugs for psoriatic arthritis.

They act by copying the effects of substances naturally made by the immune system of the patient. They are manufactured using genetic engineering, meaning that human genes that normally guide the production of these natural human immune proteins (i.e., an antibody to TNF) are used in artificial ways to produce large amounts of a biologic drug. These drugs are given to lessen inflammation by interfering with biologic substances that cause or worsen inflammation...read more

Corticosteroids are synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone that the body produces naturally. They work by reducing inflammation and the activity of the immune system. They are used to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases and conditions.

Examples of corticosteroid medications include cortisone, prednisolone and methylprednisolone. However they should not be confused with the anabolic steroids, which some athletes use to build bigger muscles...read more

If a patient has persistent inflammation in several joints for longer than six weeks then the doctor might prescribe a medication called a Disease Modifying anti-rheumatic Drug or DMARD (pronounced DeeMard).

They are usually prescribed in addition to anti-inflammatory NSAIDs as the NSAID is designed to reduce the day-to-day inflammation and the DMARD slows down the biological processes that cause the persistent inflammation.
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NSAIDs inhibit cyclo-oxygenase (COX), the enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. The reduction in prostaglandin levels provides the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of NSAIDs, but it is also responsible for side effects, since prostaglandins have a role in protecting the gastric mucosa and maintaining renal blood flow... read more

Are creams for the treatment of mild to moderate pain caused by arthritis.
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