Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can cause tenderness and inflammation of the joints. It often occurs in people with psoriasis and is not contagious. PsA can also affect body parts such as the eyes and digestive tract.

PsA is a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects the body’s joints and connections between the tendons, ligaments, and bones. Symptoms include fatigue, swelling around joints, and pain, throbbing, and stiffness in joints.

People with PsA may also experience psoriasis symptoms, including rashes and dry, flaky patches of skin called plaques. Psoriasis is also an inflammatory skin condition.

This article lists 14 quick facts about PsA, including what causes it and who is most likely to develop it.

The hands of a person with psoriatic arthritis.-2Share on Pinterest
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The symptoms of PsA can be vague or resemble other conditions, such as:

Due to these shared or vague symptoms, doctors may consider other forms of arthritis and inflammatory conditions when making a diagnosis.

Confirming a diagnosis may take several rounds of physical exams and lab tests.

PsA is an immune-mediated condition with autoimmune features. With PsA, the immune system affects the joints and skin but can also affect other tissues, including organs.

Chronic inflammation in healthy tissue results in symptoms such as:

  • pain
  • swelling
  • stiffness

Rheumatoid factors (RF) are proteins the immune system produces. They can form complexes with other proteins that can attack healthy cells and tissue.

Doctors can use blood tests to detect RF proteins. However, people with PsA are usually RF-negative.

If a blood test is positive for RF, a doctor may suspect rheumatoid arthritis is causing arthritis symptoms, not PsA.

No single diagnostic test can confirm a PsA diagnosis. Instead, a doctor will use multiple tests, including:

PsA is a progressive condition that has no cure. Most people with the condition experience occasional periods when symptoms and disease activity are more severe. These periods are called flares.

People can manage flares with medication and lifestyle strategies until the symptoms return to pre-flare levels.

Having a family member with PsA can increase a person’s chances of developing the condition.

In fact, about 40% of people with PsA or psoriasis have at least one close family member with either condition, according to a 2020 study. However, not every person with the condition has this family connection.

According to a 2021 study, 7.5 million people ages 20 years and over have psoriasis in the United States.

However, only around 1 in 4 people with psoriasis will develop PsA, according to a 2019 systematic review.

People with psoriasis can develop other types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis. Some may develop rheumatoid arthritis, but this is rare.

Males and females are equally likely to develop PsA. The condition can start at any age. However, most people receive a diagnosis between 30 and 50 years old.

Most people receive their diagnosis about 7–10 years after the onset of psoriasis skin symptoms.

PsA may be hereditary, but it is not contagious. It cannot pass from person to person.

However, outside events may make people predisposed to the condition more likely to develop their first symptoms, including:

When one of these triggers presses the immune system into action, a side effect may be the autoimmune response that causes PsA to develop.

PsA is not limited to commonly affected joints, such as in the hands, feet, arms, or legs. It can also affect the joints of the spine, hips, and shoulders.

Any joint where ligaments and tendons connect to bones is susceptible to arthritis symptoms.

The immune system’s attack on healthy tissue affects more than the joints. People with PsA may also experience symptoms in other body parts, including inflammation of the eye — uveitis — and digestive tract — inflammatory bowel disease.

People with PsA are also more likely to develop conditions such as depression and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, such as:

Treating PsA early and aggressively can help reduce the risk of comorbidities.

While there is no cure for PsA, a range of treatments, including over-the-counter and prescription medications, can ease symptoms. Treatment can help:

  • slow progression
  • reduce flares
  • protect joints and tissue from long-term damage

While the effect of PsA can be widespread, with an effective treatment plan, the condition does not have to lead to poor health.

Not every person with PsA will show signs of the condition, such as swollen fingers or discolored, scaly patches on the skin.

Many symptoms of PsA are invisible. This can make the pain and fatigue challenging to explain to others.

Some people find symptom relief with physical activity alongside medication. Gentle exercises that may help improve joint strength, flexibility, and stamina include:

Physical activity may also help reduce the risk of conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Psoriatic arthritis is a progressive, chronic condition. It is not contagious but may have a hereditary link and worsen due to certain triggers, such as stress or illness.

Early treatment can relieve symptoms and prevent some of the worst complications of the condition, including long-term damage to the joints and organs.

Lifestyle strategies, such as exercising regularly, may also help ease some symptoms and make living with the condition easier.