Psoriatic Arthropathy and Getting Disability

Psoriatic arthropathy is one of these kinds of 100 different types of arthritis. Psoriatic arthropathy is known by other names. It is also referred to as psoriatic arthritis and arthropathic psoriasis.

Psoriatic arthropathy is a type of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the two main forms of arthritis. The other is osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and disabling inflammatory medical ailment. It may result in considerable loss of mobility that is due to pain and joint destruction.

How many people have psoriatic arthropathy?

About 5 to 7% of the people who are afflicted with the chronic skin condition, psoriasis, also have psoriatic arthropathy. However, one fact that should be remembered is that everyone who has psoriatic arthropathy has psoriasis, but not everyone with psoriasis will go on to have psoriatic arthropathy.

It is estimated that somewhere around one million people in the United States are affected by psoriatic arthropathy. Psoriatic arthropathy is an ailment that involves men and women about equally.

Psoriatic arthropathy is a systemic rheumatic disorder that can also cause inflammation in some of your body tissues that are away from your joints. Psoriatic arthropathy may also lead to inflammation in your kidneys, eyes, lungs and heart.

5 main forms of psoriatic arthropathy

• Symmetric – This form of psoriatic arthropathy represents about 50% of all of the cases of this disorder. Symmetric usually affects joints on both sides of your body at the same time. This is the type of psoriatic arthropathy that is similar to rheumatoid arthritis.
• Asymmetric – This kind of psoriatic arthropathy accounts for about 35% of all of the instances of the ailment. Asymmetric does not take place in the same joints on both sides of your body. It is usually milder that symmetric and affects less than three of your joints.
• Distal interphalangeal predominant – This type of psoriatic arthropathy involves stiffness and inflammation in the joints that are closest to the ends of your toes and fingers. In many instances, there are considerable changes in your nails.
• Spondylitis – This form of psoriatic arthropathy is evidenced by stiffness of your neck or spine, but it can also involve your feet and hands. Spondylitis acts in a way that is similar to symmetric psoriatic arthropathy.
• Arthritis mutilans – This type of psoriatic arthropathy represents less than 5% of all of the cases of the ailment. This is a severe, deforming, destructive type of psoriatic arthropathy.

Causes of Psoriatic arthropathy

The cause of psoriatic arthropathy is unknown at the present time. Researchers think that it may have a combination of immune, genetics and environmental causes. Around 40% of the people with psoriatic arthropathy or psoriasis have a close relative who has the ailment. Some of the instances of psoriasis may be connected with infections.

Some of the signs and symptoms that you may have with psoriatic arthropathy are abnormalities of your nails or lesions of your skin. Other possible signs and symptoms are pain and swelling at the attachment of your tendons and bone or swelling and pain in your joints.

Are you disabled and prevented from working because of psoriatic arthropathy and/or complications that have been caused by it or other disabling disorders that you have in conjunction with this ailment? If this is where you are at, are you trying to get financial assistance? Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? Has the Social Security Administration denied your application?