Overview

Have you been experiencing an increase in swelling and pain in your joints? Do you find yourself waking up sore and often unable to move your joints? An integrative rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis treatment session with us might be just what you need for overall wellness. Here's everything to know about these two common types of arthritis.

What is Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis?

Rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis are two chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that affect the joints of patients that have them. They are two common forms of arthritis—a disease that causes inflammation in one or multiple joints of the body. Both rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis can affect patients of all ages but is most commonly seen in patients ages of 10 and 50.

Psoriatic arthritis typically occurs in conjunction with psoriasis, a skin disorder that results in inflamed and flaky patches of red skin. In addition to affecting joints, psoriatic arthritis can also cause redness in the hands and feet, resulting in dactylitis or a swollen "sausage-like" appearance of the appendages. If left untreated, rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis can result in deformed joints due to inflammation of the synovium—tissue that lines the joints.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis?

The common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• erosion of bones, and the lack of bone growth
• stiffness in joints in the morning and while sitting for long periods
• pain and tenderness of inflamed joints
• thickening of synovial lining leading to a lack in ease of movement
• difficulty sleeping
• fatigue
• inflammation of glands, especially in the tear ducts, mouth, heart, and lungs
• formation of rheumatoid nodules

The common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:

• psoriasis
• painful, swollen joints
• damage and breakdown of finger and toe-nails
• stiffness when waking up
• frequent conjunctivitis

What to Expect During Integrative Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis Treatments

If you've never had an integrative treatment for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis before, you might be wondering what to expect. A trained doctor at reNu Medical & Injury Center will begin by asking you a series of questions to determine your medical history. A thorough physical exam, along with lab tests such as X-rays and blood tests, will also be carried out to distinguish the type of arthritis you may be experiencing.

From there, your doctor will prescribe one or several different forms of treatment depending on the severity of your symptoms. These may include:

• changes to diet and lifestyle
• mind-body therapies like meditation, yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture
• herbal supplements
• hypnosis to ease pain and stress
• deep-breathing therapy
• joint injections

Effective rheumatoid and psoriatic therapies require an accurate evaluation and prompt care using safe, effective integrative techniques.

For more information about rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, contact reNu Medical & Injury Center at (302) 368-0124.