What Is Psoriatic Arthritis?

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause skin, joint, tendon, or nail inflammation. A large proportion of people with psoriatic arthritis also have psoriasis — a condition that causes the rapid buildup of skin cells.

There’s no cure for psoriatic arthritis, but there are therapies to control the symptoms and reduce the inflammation that can lead to joint damage and other serious health consequences.

Types of Psoriatic Arthritis

• Oligoarticular Arthritis Asymmetrical pattern, affecting five joints or fewer.
• Polyarticular Arthritis Symmetrical pattern, appears similar to rheumatoid arthritis.
• Distal Arthritis Significant involvement of wrist and other hand joints.
• Arthritis Mutilans Severe symptoms with deformities, often in the hands and feet.
• Spondyloarthritis Significant back or lower back pain.

Signs and Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis can cause a broad range of symptoms. Not everyone with the disease experiences all of these symptoms, and the severity of symptoms varies from person to person.

• Painful, swollen joints
• Psoriasis, or itchy, scaly patches of discolored or raised skin joints
• Fatigue
• Enthesitis, or swelling and stiffness in the tissues surrounding the joints
• Dactylitis, or sausage-like swelling of the fingers or toes
• Pain and stiffness in the back or pelvis
• Joint stiffness and reduced range of motion
• Inflammation of the eyes, called uveitis
• Nails that become pitted, crumble, or lift from the nail beds

Symptoms typically worsen over time, but you might experience periods of improvement or remission, alternating with episodes of intensified symptoms, known as “flares,” which may last for several days or weeks.

Causes and Risk Factors of Psoriatic Arthritis

Experts believe that both genetic and environmental influences may be to blame for the immune system failure.

• Having Psoriasis Being diagnosed with psoriasis is the greatest risk factor for developing psoriatic arthritis.
• Family History Many people with psoriatic arthritis have a family member with psoriatic arthritis.
• Infection Having a viral or bacterial infection may activate the immune system and trigger psoriatic arthritis in people with a genetic predisposition.
• Age Anyone can develop psoriatic arthritis, but it’s more common in those between ages 30 and 50.
• Obesity Obesity is a risk factor for developing psoriatic arthritis. It’s also associated with more severe disease, and it reduces a person’s response to psoriatic arthritis treatments.

How Is Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosed?

Your doctor will likely perform a physical exam to look for:

• Swollen joints
• Skin or nail changes
• Eye problems
• Joint tenderness

You may be asked to undergo one or more imaging tests so your physician can get a better look at your joints. Imaging options include:

• X-ray
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Ultrasound
• Computed tomography scan

• One or more blood tests to rule out rheumatoid arthritis
• Testing of a sample of fluid from your joints to rule out gout and infectious arthritis
• A skin biopsy to confirm a psoriasis diagnosis

Treatment and Medication Options for Psoriatic Arthritis

Medication is the mainstay of treatment for psoriatic arthritis. Your rheumatologist will recommend which medication to try first according to the severity of your symptoms, any drugs you have tried in the past, any other drugs you’re currently taking (for psoriatic arthritis or another condition), your overall health, and your personal preferences.

Ideally, medications will keep psoriatic arthritis under control and surgery won’t be needed, but if it is, a few options are available, including synovectomy, joint replacement, and joint fusion.

Lifestyle measures such as getting regular exercise can also help with symptom management and improving your overall health and mood.

Medication Options

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), can help reduce inflammation and pain. While these medicines are available over the counter, your doctor may be able to write you a prescription for a stronger version.
• Steroids can help reduce inflammation quickly. They can be given orally or are sometimes injected right into the problematic joint.
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are often recommended if your condition doesn’t improve with NSAIDs. They can help slow the progression of the disease and prevent permanent joint damage. The most commonly used DMARD is methotrexate (Trexall).
• Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are a type of DMARD that blocks certain enzymes that can cause inflammation. They are taken as pills. JAK inhibitors approved to treat psoriatic arthritis include tofacitinib (Xeljanz) and upadacitinib (Rinvoq).
• Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitors are another DMARD. They work by selectively targeting small molecules inside immune cells to correct the overactive immune response that causes inflammation in psoriatic arthritis. The drug apremilast (Otezla) is the primary PDE4 inhibitor approved for psoriatic arthritis.
• Biologics target specific cells or proteins in the immune system that play a role in the development of psoriatic arthritis. They can lessen pain and improve swollen joints. These include drugs like adalimumab (Humira) and guselkumab (Tremfya).
• The selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor deucravacitinib (Sotyktu), was the first TYK2 approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlit the drug in March 2026.

Surgery

Lifestyle Changes and Prevention of Psoriatic Arthritis

• Exercise Regular physical activity can make your joints more flexible. Try walking, riding a bike, or swimming.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight Being overweight can put more strain on your joints, which increases pain. If needed, losing a few extra pounds can relieve this stress and give you more energy.
• Rest Psoriatic arthritis, and sometimes the medicines you take to treat it, can cause extreme fatigue. While being active can be helpful, it’s also vital to rest when you’re tired. Overdoing it can worsen your symptoms.

How Long Does Psoriatic Arthritis Last?

Complications of Psoriatic Arthritis

• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• Anemia
• Diabetes

Support for People With Psoriatic Arthritis

Connecting to others who have psoriatic arthritis can help you feel more supported and may also help you find effective ways to manage the disease. One of these organizations may offer the resources you need:

CreakyJoints

CreakyJoints is a digital community for patients with arthritis and their caregivers. It offers education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research resources for people with all types of arthritis.

Talk Psoriasis

Sponsored by the National Psoriasis Foundation, Talk Psoriasis offers a free helpline, patient navigators, and the Psoriasis One to One program, which connects individuals with someone else who has psoriatic disease.

Live Yes! Connect Groups

Live Yes! Connect Groups, sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, connect you with local, peer-led support groups. You can also attend webinars, hear podcasts, watch exercise videos, and contact the arthritis helpline.

The Takeaway

• Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes stiff joints often alongside a skin rash.
• There are many medications available to treat symptoms, but healthy lifestyle changes can also go a long way in reducing flare-ups.
• If you have psoriatic arthritis, getting connected to one of the support groups for the condition is a great way to share treatment suggestions and find community.

Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.