Managing Psoriasis and Arthritis Naturally
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales. While these patches normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, they can appear anywhere on your body. Most people are only affected with small patches. In some cases, the patches can be itchy or sore.
Psoriasis can start at any age, but most often develops in adults under the age of thirty five - affecting men and women equally.
The severity of psoriasis varies greatly from person to person. For some people it’s just a minor irritation, but for others it can have a major impact on their quality of life.
Psoriasis is a long-lasting (chronic) condition that usually involves periods when you have no symptoms or mild symptoms, followed by periods when symptoms are more severe.
What is psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that sometimes develops in those with the skin condition psoriasis. It affects the joints and can cause them to become swollen, stiff and painful.
It is estimated that around one in four of those with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis.
In most cases, people will experience problems with their skin before they notice any symptoms in their joints. In a small number of cases, skin issues may start at the same time as joint problems or after.
Psoriatic arthritis can be caused by the immune system wrongly attacking healthy tissue. It’s not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis and others don’t.
What are the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint in the body, causing pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints, often appearing in particular areas including the:
- Hands
- Feet
- Knees
- Elbows
- Neck and spine
Psoriatic arthritis can also affect the area where tendons and ligaments are connected to the bone. This is called entheses or enthesitis when inflamed.
Sometimes, the whole finger or toe can get inflamed and look sausage-like. This is called dactylitis.
While symptoms usually develop slowly, in rare cases they can develop suddenly without warning.
The severity of psoriatic arthritis varies. Some people may have severe problems affecting many joints. Others may only notice mild symptoms in one or two joints.
Flare-ups and relapses with psoriatic arthritis
There may be times when your symptoms get better and worse. These are called flare-ups or relapses. There may be some good news when some may reach a point where they have no symptoms at all (known as remission).
How can you treat psoriatic arthritis?
The main aims of treatment are to:
- Help your symptoms
- Slow the progression of the condition
- Improve your quality of life
You may be prescribed medication to help treat psoriatic arthritis which could mean trying many different medications.
Psoriasis and other types of inflammatory arthritis can lead to other conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) which is the term for conditions of the heart or blood vessels, such as heart disease or stroke. It is wise for your medical practitioner to carry out annual tests to check.
Other signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
It can also cause inflammation of the eyes, such as conjunctivitis and iritis.
If psoriatic arthritis affects your skin and joints, you may notice changes in your nails such as:
- Dents
- Pits
- Discoloration
- Loosening from the nail bed
How to help yourself when living with psoriatic arthritis
This can be achieved by:
- Having a good balance between resting and regular physical activity.
- Losing weight if you’re overweight to help with general health and reducing any strain on your joints and even improving the control of this condition.
- Not smoking as this can lessen the condition's severity.
- Identifying and avoiding any triggers including: stress; skin injury; illness; exposure to cold, dry air; allergies and certain foods; and environmental factors.
Plus these natural strategies:
- Keeping your skin moist
- Applying aloe vera
- Taking warm baths
- Exposing yourself to safe doses of sunlight
- Reducing stress
- Including herbs and nutrients in your diet
- Avoiding alcohol and smoking.
Did you know that topical vitamin D can help improve psoriasis while raising your vitamin D levels. A study by Bubshait et al. found that applying a topical vitamin D3 gel (5000 IU per gram) daily for four months raised vitamin D levels from an average of 11 ng/ml to 37 ng/ml. Topical vitamin D has also been shown to benefit other skin conditions like vitiligo, eczema, and ichthyosis. A systematic review of over one hundred studies confirmed its positive effects, whether used alone or with other therapies.
H-Psoriasis Formula will tackle psoriasis symptoms and many other reactive skin issues (including psoriatic arthritis) naturally. Safe to use and gentle, H-Psoriasis Formula will help to soothe the skin rather than irritate it further with harsh chemicals while, at the same time, help to reduce the symptoms of itching and redness irritation.
The Formula is applied to the affected areas three times a day with just a few drops per application being necessary. It can also be added to the bath for a restorative soak.
When used as directed, the Formula will help with the symptoms of this non-contagious skin disease however severe by first clearing the flaking and lesions and then repairing the damaged skin.
For psoriatic arthritis symptoms, use together with our natural arthritis product (H-Arthritis Formula).
Sources:
Natural Medicines. Oregon grape. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. (Accessed Feb 13, 2021).
Kermott CA, et al., eds. Psoriasis. In: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies. 2nd ed. Time; 2017.
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Bolognia JL, et al., eds. Ultraviolet therapy. In: Dermatology. 4th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. (Accessed Feb 13, 2021).
#VitaminD #Psoriasis #SkinHealth #TopicalVitaminD #HealthTesting
Bolognia JL, et al., eds. Systemic immunomodulators. In: Dermatology. 4th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. (Accessed Feb 13, 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.