Psoriatic Arthritis by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Alternative treatment for psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the skin (psoriasis) and joints (arthritis). Approximately 10 to 30% of patients who have psoriasis also develop an associated inflammation of their joints. Patients who have inflammatory arthritis and psoriasis are diagnosed as having psoriatic arthritis. Consider signing up to a free natural medicine newsletter sent by email once or twice a month. I will discuss new psoriatic arthritis research when published. See Newsletter.

Psoriatic arthritis treatment
Mild skin and joint symptoms of psoriatic arthritis may be treated with topical agents, ultraviolet light therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. More severe manifestations of the disease, including progressive peripheral joint damage, spine disease, enthesitis, dactylitis, and severe skin changes, require systemic therapy. Traditional systemic drugs include methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and cyclosporine. When these medications are not adequate or not tolerated, new biologic agents, particularly anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) compounds, have shown benefit.

Psoriatic Arthritis and associated conditions
A significantly higher prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity (positive AbTPO, hyoechoic thyroid) findings in men and women with psoriatic arthritis and of subclinical hypothyroidism in women with psoriatic arthritis than in the general population. Therefore, thyroid function tests, an AbTPO assay, and thyroid ultrasound should be considered as part of the clinical evaluation, particularly in women with psoriatic arthritis.
   Overall, people who suffer from psoriatic arthritis do not have a higher risk of cancer compared to the general population.

Psoriatic Arthritis research
Subjective improvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis after short-term oral treatment with seal oil. A pilot study with double blind comparison to soy oil.
J Rheumatol. 2006 Feb;33(2):307-10. Section for Rheumatology and Gastroenterology, Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.
To investigate effects of short-term oral treatment with seal oil in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Forty-three patients with polyarticular psoriatic arthritis were randomized to receive oral treatment for 2 weeks with either seal oil or soy oil in a double blind controlled trial. Patients were allowed to continue nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) during the study. Forty patients completed the study, 20 in each treatment group. Patients in the seal oil group reported a significant improvement in global assessment of the disease 4 weeks post- treatment, and both groups showed a trend toward improvement in tender joint count, but the differences between the groups were not significant. There was a fall in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids and in arachidonic acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in serum after treatment with seal oil. Twenty-one percent of all patients had elevated values of calprotectin in feces suggestive of asymptomatic colitis. Treatment with seal oil was followed by a modest improvement in patient's global assessment of the disease and a trend towards a decrease in number of tender joints. There was a shift in fatty acid composition in serum toward a putative antiinflammatory profile. Oral treatment with seal oil may have NSAID-like effects in psoriatic arthritis.

Nail psoriasis
Nail psoriasis is common in adult patients with psoriasis. Traditional treatment includes topical applications of corticosteroids, calcipotriol, retinoids, and 5-fluorouracil, but these treatments don't work too well. Systemic treatments include ciclosporin, methotrexate and acitretin, all of which have a serious toxicity. Early research suggests that psoriatic nail disease may improve with fumaric acid esters.

Psoriatic Arthritis questions
Q. I am a doctor from the UK, and have psoriatic arthritis. I have tried a number of complementary therapies to try and overcome a hot, swollen knee including high dose fish oil, boswellia, curcumin, MSM, GLA, and Ginger, with little effect. Nothing seems to work as well as the NSAIDs. I was wondering if you could suggest anything else that may be worth trying.
   A. We have come across little research regarding the natural treatment for psoriatic arthritis. If you come across something, let us know and we will tell our readers. Perhaps eating a lot of fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, and reducing sugar, white bread, milk, and junk food could be helpful. Using more fish oil, salmon egg, seal oil, etc should be considered. It may be cautious to reduce the dose of the NSAIDs while using high doses of fish oil products.

Q. My sister is suffering from psoriatic arthritis for the last 3 to 4 years and there is a treatment from Hosmat Hospital in Bangalore which cured her skin problem. But the pain in her joints of her feet fingers are still growing and it is getting worse day by day. Do you have a treatment for this which can cure this psoriatic arthritis decease. Please revert us if you need any further information on the symptoms or the treatments availability.
   A. At this time I don't have any knowledge of a natural treatment for psoriatic arthritis.

This psoriatic arthritis page was last updated February 2008.