Psoriatic arthritis (PSa) is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis with prevalence varying in the general population from 0.3% to 1%. It is unique in that the immune abnormality underlying the condition affects both the skin as well as the joints.

While psoriatic arthritis may begin by attacking only a few joints, over time it may begin to involve many joints and becomes very severe in at least 20% of patients.

Treatment should target the skin and joint problems of the disease simultaneously.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease for which there is no known cure. It affects approximately 2.1 million Americans.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often present with pain in the metatarsal heads (balls of the feet). In fact, this is one of the more common modes of onset.

If uncontrolled, rheumatoid arthritis can lead to multiple deformities including hammer toes (where the toes bend at the knuckle and calluses develop at the tips of the toe), hallux valgus (bunions), and subluxation of the metatarsal heads (where the joints in the balls of the feet become so deformed that the balls of the feet and the toes become “disconnected.”

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease for which there is no known cure. It affects approximately 2.1 million Americans.

While a cure does not exist, it is possible to put RA into remission.

RA- particularly when not optimally controlled- is a known risk factor for early atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which leads to stroke and heart attacks occurring in patients at least ten years earlier than in people without the disease.

However, earlier studies have suggested that treating rheumatoid arthritis with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as methotrexate, and newer biologic therapies may reduce this risk.

Do you know how your joints work? Do you know what happens to your joints when you have osteoarthritis?

Watch this short video to find out the answers.

Some fitness conscious people who believe in the motto of “no pain, no gain” treat pain as a necessary process to break into the next level of physical fitness. For the rest of us though, pain is a sign that there is something wrong with our body. It’s a signal to stop what you’re doing and take action about your body’s health. You want to relieve the pain immediately. And, if possible, cure the cause of the pain at the same time. Arthritic pain and arthritic pain relief fall into this category.