I suffer from psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis that affects some people with the skin condition psoriasis. It typically causes affected joints (usually fingers and feet in this type of arthritis), to become swollen, stiff and painful. I tend to suffer it mostly in the fingers and thumbs. I've also have osteoarthritis in my knees from years of playing cricket, although a partial knee replacement 3 years ago has worked wonders for that particular issue.
Interestingly when I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis I didn't even know I had psoriasis, but since then, both the arthritis and the psoriasis have become more prevalent. For years I self treated with moistening creams and ant-inflammatories, rejecting disease modifying drugs designed to slow down the degeneration of of joints caused by the disease - specifically methotrexate, an immunosuppressant as it's got a contraindication (side effect) list as long as your arm, and need regular blood tests as it can damage the liver. This means that you're not really supposed to drink (much) alcohol, and certainly have to keep it under check - a bit of a pain for a beer and wine lover like me...
However, a few years ago, I caved in as the pain in my fingers and thumbs, especially over the colder, damp months got unbearable. Since starting on this drug the arthritis is mostly well controlled on a low dose, and although the psoriasis has not disappeared, it has significantly reduced - it's handy having medication that controls psoriasis as well as slowing the joint degeneration.
(I have to say, although I have far from given up alcohol, I do generally *cough* keep my intake fairly low).
As an aside, because I'm on methotrexate, it also means I'm on the "vulnerable" list as far as the 'rona virus goes, because it's an immunosuppressant. I can't in all honesty say that I fully shielded in the early days of the pandemic, although I was cautious for the first few months, during and immediately post lockdown 1. But I'd been double jabbed by the middle of January anyway.
This summer I had a flare up in one joint on the index finger of my left hand, which became very swollen and very painful. I contacted the rheumatology team, and last week they gave me a steroid injection into the joint, which worked wonders within 24 hours. Trust me, the first two photos here don't do justice to how swollen and painful this joint was. But it's virtually back to normal now. Thank God for the NHS by the way....
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| L index finger - very sore |
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| L index finger - very sore |
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| Immediately post steroid injection Not the nicest place to have a needle stuck in! |
In many ways I'm lucky that my arthritis is pretty well controlled on my current medication. Whilst I've got some slightly dodgy finger joints, it doesn't otherwise impact my life, and an occasional prophylactic ibuprofen if I know I'm going to be doing something that might cause some joint discomfort usually does the trick. I can play golf, do my gardening and pretty much just about anything else, although occasionally I have trouble opening jar lids, and my grip isn't what it used to be (but that might just be old age)!
Arthritis can be a terrible disease though, severely impacting people's ability to go about their day to day lives as normal, and frequently finds them in great discomfort, or even sometimes unbearable pain. It's often (like mine) not always immediately visible either.
Whilst (as yet), the disease and it's multiple variants cannot be "cured", it can with the right support, and if necessary medication or even surgery, be managed. And that, for most sufferers, is a blessed relief.
There are loads of resources on the interweb to help sufferers and those who care for them. Here are a couple.
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