Joint pain resolved in a professional manner.

Most people with Psoriatic Arthritis also have Psoriasis (a scaly skin rash) or alternatively a close family relative has Psoriasis.

Some people with Psoriatic Arthritis also have a very stiff and painful back that is much worse at night and first thing in the morning and much better with movement.

Some people have a close relative with Ankylosing Spondylitis and sometimes a relative with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

It can affect people at any age; men and women are affected fairly equally.

Symptoms often improve with movement and also as the day goes on. Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen can be helpful.

Psoriatic Arthritis does run in families to a small degree. It is thought that certain factors can trigger it, including smoking, extreme physical or mental stress and other illnesses such as a chest infection or an episode of diarrhoea and vomiting.

There are many new treatments for Psoriatic arthritis that can settle down most of the symptoms and in many cases put the disease into remission.

Many of the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis are similar to Psoriatic Arthritis

Most people with Ankylosing Spondylitis (or axial Spondyloarthritis as it is now called) have a very stiff and painful back that is much worse at night and first thing in the morning and much better with movement.

Symptoms often improve with movement and also as the day goes on. Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen can be helpful.

It usually comes on in late teens or twenties/early thirties but can occasionally occur when over 40.

Some people have Psoriasis (a scaly skin rash) or alternatively a close family relative has Psoriasis. Others have a close relative with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (or axial Spondyloarthritis) does run in families and it is thought that certain factors can trigger it, including smoking, physical injury or stress and other illnesses such an episode of diarrhoea and vomiting.

There are many new treatments for those with axial Spondyloarthritis that can settle down most of the symptoms and in many cases put the disease into remission. 

Daily exercises and stretching is very important (usually advised by a specialist AS physiotherapist), long acting anti-inflammatory medications such as Naproxen can be very helpful. For those with quite severe disease there are now biologic therapies available.

SLE is rare condition where the immune system malfunctions that may lead to:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Tiredness
• Rashes, especially on the face, coming on in sunshine
• Raynaud’s Syndrome
• dry eyes and dry mouth, crops of mouth ulcers
• sometimes the heart, lungs, kidneys or gut can be involved.
• occasionally muscles or nerves or the brain can be affected.

This condition cannot be cured at the present time but can be helped by treatments so it is important to diagnose it as soon as possible

Scleroderma is rare condition where the immune system malfunctions leading to:

• skin thickening, especially of fingers / hands
• sometimes calcium deposits over the fingertips
• Raynaud’s Syndrome leading, occasionally, to fingertip ulcers,
• facial skin rash (called telangiectasia)
• dry eyes and dry mouth
• occasionally the heart, lungs, kidneys or gut can be involved

This condition cannot be cured at the present time but can be helped by treatments so it is important to diagnose it as soon as possible

Sjogren’s Syndrome is rare condition where the immune system malfunctions leading to:

• Dry eyes and dry mouth
• Muscle and joint pain
• Tiredness
• Raynaud’s Syndrome
• occasionally enlarged lymph nodes
• sometimes other organs can can be involved
• occasionally muscles or nerves can be affected
• sometimes rashes on the lower legs can occur

Myositis is rare condition and causes inflammation of muscles, generally leading to muscle pain, stiffness and most importantly, weakness that can get worse without treatment.

It is usually caused by an over-active immune system.  There are two main types of immune mediated myositis called:

• • Polymyositis (i.e. myositis in many muscles)
  • Dermatomyositis – muscle inflammation and a rash

Both types need to be diagnosed and treated quickly. Initial treatment is with steroids.

Gout causes joint inflammation leading to severe pain, swelling, heat and redness.  The inflammation is caused by uric acid crystals in the joints.  The joint inflammation generally lasts for up to 10 days but is usually at its worst for 2 -3 days.  The commonest joints involved are big toe joints, although many other joints can be affected including ankles, knees, finger joints, wrists, elbows etc.

Gout can be treated when it is active and causing pain, swelling and inflammation. It can also be prevented with long term medications.

Pseudogout is very like gout but caused by different crystals (Calcium Pyrophosphate) in the joints.

The crystals cause inflammation in the joints and this leads to severe pain, swelling, heat and redness. This generally lasts for up to 10 days but is usually at its worst for 2 -3 days.

It is often wrist, shoulder and knee joints that are affected and also osteoarthritic joints.

Joints can be injected when they are inflamed but there is no preventive medication to treat this, unlike for gout.

Almost all of us develop Osteoarthritis as we get older. It can affect many joints including the back and neck.

It is not always painful and often occurs gradually and may not be noticed.  Joints only need replacing occasionally e.g hips or knees.

People who have damaged joints in the past (such as damage to the cartilage of a knee joint) are more prone to develop Osteoarthritis in that particular joint. However, many people develop Osteoarthritis ‘out of the blue’; it is not always about joint damage.

Joints can be injected when they are inflamed but there is no preventive medication to treat this, unlike for gout.

Individuals with Osteoporosis usually have ‘thinner’ bones or ‘less dense’ bones than average and are therefore at a higher risk of fracturing a bone more easily, such as with a minor fall, than others whose bone density is higher.

A test called a bone density scan or DEXA scan can measure bone density (or bone thickness). Each person’s results are compared to an average 30 year old of the same sex. A T score is given for the hip and the lower back and this T score puts the individual into a category: normal, osteopenia, osteoporosis. It also gives an idea of the severity of the osteoporosis and can compare an individual’s bone density with the bone density of other people of the same age/sex.

There are many different drug treatments for osteoporosis.

It is also important for everyone to maintain good bone health by making sure they have adequate levels of vitamin D, calcium, and avoid excessive alcohol, caffeine, avoid smoking and try to walk for at least 20 minutes daily.