Psoriatic arthritis symptoms closely resemble those associated with other forms of arthritis. Let’s recap the general symptoms before we get specific. General symptoms of arthritis involve joints becoming painful, swollen, and warm to the touch. Psoriatic arthritis is more likely to also cause

• Swollen fingers and toes: Think of your fingers and toes becoming painful and experiencing sausage-like swelling.

• Foot pain: especially where tendons and ligaments attach to your bones (back of your heel, or sole of your feet).

• Lower back pain: The joints in between the vertebrae of the spine or between your spine and pelvis can become inflamed as part of psoriatic arthritis.

• Pitting of the nails: White lines/ridges on your fingernails is a common symptom of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

That sounds like me: what should I do?

As always, you should consult your doctor. There is not a specific test to determine psoriatic arthritis, but it can be diagnosed once other things have been ruled out.

Because psoriatic arthritis causes degenerative damage to your joints, it is important to be aware of the symptoms and notify your doctor if you start to experience them — especially if you fall into one of the following groups that are at a higher risk for developing psoriatic arthritis.

• People who have already been diagnosed with psoriasis
• People with a relative that has psoriatic arthritis, even if you have never been diagnosed with psoriasis
• People between the ages of 30 and 50, even if you have never been diagnosed with psoriasis.

The sooner you get a diagnosis for your symptoms, the sooner you can get solutions. More information here about things you can do to manage symptoms and feel better overall.

P.S. We recently a Health Advising program specifically for Psoriatic Arthritis, so if you have Psoriatic Arthritis, we’d like to offer you an early access pass and a chance to weigh in on what information and resources you need most. Learn more here.