Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can be mild and develop gradually or they can be severe and sudden. You can manage psoriatic arthritis by following your treatment plan and making healthy lifestyle changes, but there may still be times when you experience flares — periods of time when your symptoms worsen or intensify. Here, people living with psoriatic arthritis share their tips for powering through the rough days.
1. Get extra rest
Shari Kurzer was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis more than 15 years ago. “Fatigue is a tough one, especially when you have four kids with busy schedules,” says the Stamford, Connecticut, resident. “But even when I’m having a tough day, I still need to function.” On these days, Kurzer says she tries to go to bed earlier, rest during the day, and limit her to-do list. “Maybe I’ll save laundry for the next day or order dinner instead of cooking," she says. Lori-Ann Holbrook, of Dallas, was diagnosed in 2012 and uses a similar strategy to combat a hard day with psoriatic arthritis. “If I’m overcome by fatigue, I take a sick day and stay in bed,” she says.
3. Try heat, cold, stretching, and massage
Stiffness often occurs in the morning for people with psoriatic arthritis. “Some days are better than others, and usually the stiffness is worse in the mornings or after long periods of sitting,” Kurzer says. “A warm bath or shower first thing in the morning helps me.” She says she also does some gentle stretching exercises to increase range of motion. Holbrook says she likes to use heat or cold on stiff, achy joints and will sometimes massage them with essential oils, too.
4. Focus on the positives
Kevin Brennan of Washington, D.C., was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at age 15, and says it hasn’t been an easy journey. “The mental stuff is the hardest,” he says. Psoriatic arthritis does, in fact, increase the risk of depression and anxiety, notes the NPF. According to a review published in January 2020 in the journal Clinical Rheumatology, one in three people with psoriatic arthritis have at least mild anxiety and one in five have at least mild depression. Whenever Brennan is feeling down, he says, he grabs one of his three kids and gives them a hug. “I try to draw inspiration from my kids to pull myself out of a funk,” he says. “To them, I am a superhero.” Mindfulness meditation — which encourages you to be in the moment — may also help relieve stress, which can trigger a psoriatic flare, the NPF notes.
5. Get active
Getting on his bike and going for a ride also helps Brennan power through psoriatic arthritis symptoms such as fatigue and joint stiffness, he says. He bikes about 120 miles per week. Exercise helps boost endorphins — the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. The NPF also encourages regular exercise as part of a comprehensive psoriatic arthritis management program, noting that movement helps loosen your joints and reduce inflammation and pain. But the benefits don’t stop there: Exercise also helps reduce the risk for other diseases that often accompany psoriatic arthritis, including heart disease and diabetes.
6. Ask for help at work
One-third of people with psoriatic arthritis report missing work because of the condition and say that the symptoms affect their ability to work full-time, according to a study published in June 2016 in the journal Rheumatology and Therapy. Talking to your boss about making some workplace adjustments can help, Dr. Pisetsky says. The NPF agrees, recommending that it’s better to ask for help or modifications at work than to try to struggle through the pain, which could lead to a flare.
7. Check in with your doctor
There are many effective treatments out there for psoriatic arthritis today, Pisetsky says. “If you’re having more bad days than good days, you may not have the right treatment plan,” he says. See your doctor to make sure you’re doing all you can to reduce your psoriatic arthritis symptoms, he says. Adjusting doses or adding another medication may make a difference for you.
