Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affects nearly 30 percent of people living with psoriasis, a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the body. While there’s no cure, there are safe and effective treatments to help reduce the pain, inflammation, and joint damage of PsA and improve your overall health — but only if you get proper medical care.
As with any rheumatic condition, the earlier a patient with PsA gets an accurate diagnosis and begins treatment, the better. “Psoriatic arthritis can cause damage to joints through erosions of the bone. There are a number of other issues that can arise, such as an eye condition called uveitis, sausage-like swelling of the fingers or toes, and a lot of significant deformities that impair quality of life. These won’t happen in every case, but it’s important to treat early to try to prevent that in cases where it may happen,” says Jason Liebowitz, MD, a rheumatologist in Rockaway, New Jersey.
Jason Liebowitz, MD, completed his fellowship in rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, where he also earned his medical degree. He is currently in practice with Skylands Medical Group, N.J.