Psoriatic Arthritis

Common Questions & Answers
There is no one defining symptom of PsA, and you may experience more than one symptom at once. Early signs can include joint pain and stiffness, along with changes to your fingernails or red, scaly patches on your skin.
Both conditions can be painful and disabling, and the severity of either one varies from person to person. But unlike psoriasis, PsA involves both joint inflammation and skin problems, so it can be considered more complex than psoriasis alone.
Part of disease management for PsA includes preventing flares in the first place. Stress is the most common reason for a flare, but other triggers can include skin infections and injuries, skipping or stopping medications, getting poor sleep, and being overweight.
Yes. Some people with mild symptoms may get their disease under control relatively quickly, where others may need to take prescription medications to get their symptoms to lessen or disappear. PsA symptoms can also return at a later time.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms and how they impact your daily life, psoriatic arthritis can be considered a disability. It is included on the Social Security Administration's list of disabling conditions, but you must have a diagnosis from a doctor.

Beth Biggee, MD
Medical Reviewer
Beth Biggee, MD, is medical director and an integrative rheumatologist at?Rheumission, a virtual integrative rheumatology practice for people residing in California and Pennsylvania. This first-of-its-kind company offers whole person autoimmune care by a team of integrative rheumatologists, lifestyle medicine practitioners, autoimmune dietitians, psychologists, and care coordinators.
Dr. Biggee also works as a healthcare wellness consultant for Synergy Wellness Center in Hudson, Massachusetts. Teamed with Synergy, she provides in-person lifestyle medicine and holistic consults, and contributes to employee workplace wellness programs. She has over 20 years of experience in rheumatology and holds board certifications in rheumatology and integrative and lifestyle medicine.?Dr. Biggee brings a human-centered approach to wellness rather than focusing solely on diseases.
Dr. Biggee graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Canisius College, and graduated magna cum laude and as valedictorian from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse Medical School. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, completed her fellowship in rheumatology at Tufts–New England Medical Center, and completed training in integrative rheumatology at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Following her training, she attained board certification in rheumatology and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine, attained board certification in integrative medicine through the American Board of Physician Specialties, and attained accreditation as a certified lifestyle medicine physician through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is certified in Helms auricular acupuncture and is currently completing coursework for the Aloha Ayurveda integrative medicine course for physicians.
In prior roles, Dr. Biggee taught as an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital (an affiliate of Columbia University). She was also clinical associate of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and instructed "introduction to clinical medicine" for medical students at Tufts. She was preceptor for the Lawrence General Hospital Family Medicine Residency.
Dr. Biggee has published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Arthritis in Rheumatism, Current Opinions in Rheumatology, Journal for Musculoskeletal Medicine, Medicine and Health?Rhode Island, and Field Guide to Internal Medicine.

Beth Biggee, MD
Medical Reviewer
Beth Biggee, MD, is medical director and an integrative rheumatologist at?Rheumission, a virtual integrative rheumatology practice for people residing in California and Pennsylvania. This first-of-its-kind company offers whole person autoimmune care by a team of integrative rheumatologists, lifestyle medicine practitioners, autoimmune dietitians, psychologists, and care coordinators.
Dr. Biggee also works as a healthcare wellness consultant for Synergy Wellness Center in Hudson, Massachusetts. Teamed with Synergy, she provides in-person lifestyle medicine and holistic consults, and contributes to employee workplace wellness programs. She has over 20 years of experience in rheumatology and holds board certifications in rheumatology and integrative and lifestyle medicine.?Dr. Biggee brings a human-centered approach to wellness rather than focusing solely on diseases.
Dr. Biggee graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Canisius College, and graduated magna cum laude and as valedictorian from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse Medical School. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, completed her fellowship in rheumatology at Tufts–New England Medical Center, and completed training in integrative rheumatology at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Following her training, she attained board certification in rheumatology and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine, attained board certification in integrative medicine through the American Board of Physician Specialties, and attained accreditation as a certified lifestyle medicine physician through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is certified in Helms auricular acupuncture and is currently completing coursework for the Aloha Ayurveda integrative medicine course for physicians.
In prior roles, Dr. Biggee taught as an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital (an affiliate of Columbia University). She was also clinical associate of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and instructed "introduction to clinical medicine" for medical students at Tufts. She was preceptor for the Lawrence General Hospital Family Medicine Residency.
Dr. Biggee has published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Arthritis in Rheumatism, Current Opinions in Rheumatology, Journal for Musculoskeletal Medicine, Medicine and Health?Rhode Island, and Field Guide to Internal Medicine.

Sanjai Sinha, MD
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Sinha did his undergraduate training at the University of California in Berkeley, where he graduated magna cum laude. He earned his medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City in 1998 and completed his internship and residency training at the New York University School of Medicine in 2001. Subsequently, he worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2001 to 2012 and held faculty appointments at both the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
In 2006, he won the VISN3 Network Director Award for Public Service and a commendation from the secretary of Veterans Affairs for his relief work after Hurricane Katrina. He joined Weill Cornell Medical College?in 2012, where he is an assistant professor of clinical medicine and the director of the care management program, as well as a practicing physician.
In addition to his work for Everyday Health, Sinha has written for various publications, including Sharecare and Drugs.com; published numerous papers in peer-reviewed medical journals, such as the?Journal of General Internal Medicine; and presented at national conferences on many healthcare delivery topics.?He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Sian Yik Lim, MD
Medical Reviewer
Lim has authored several book chapters, including one titled “What is Osteoporosis” in the book Facing Osteoporosis: A Guide for Patients and their Families. He was also an editor for?Pharmacological Interventions for Osteoporosis, a textbook involving collaboration from a team of bone experts from Malaysia, Australia, and the United States.

Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS
Medical Reviewer
Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the?Mayo Clinic?staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.

Ross Radusky, MD
Medical Reviewer
Ross Radusky, MD, is a practicing?board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center in Dallas. Originally from New York City, he graduated summa cum laude from the City University of New York and then received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine. There, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and served as chapter president for two years. He completed his residency in dermatology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center, and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Radusky practices general and cosmetic dermatology with a focus on the early detection of skin cancer, and provides patients with a personalized approach to looking their best at any age. He has authored articles and textbook chapters on the clues that our finger- and toenails may provide us about internal disease, as well as on comprehensive therapies for cosmetic dermatology and reversing the signs of skin aging.
Complementing his medical practice, Radusky has a strong passion for the cultural arts, particularly in expanding access to youths and seniors. He previously served as an artist instructor for the Rockaway Artists Alliance, a New York City nonprofit arts and education organization, and then served as both a board director and treasurer of the organization throughout his medical school training.
Radusky enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Robyn, son Oliver, and poodle Lucy, where he can usually be found preventing photoaging and reducing the risk of skin cancer beneath an umbrella in a wide-brimmed hat. He is also the proud inventor of Sunshotz, the world’s only sunscreen measuring cup, designed to help patients of all ages apply the proper amount of sunscreen needed to enjoy all the sun without the burn.

Alexa Meara, MD
Medical Reviewer
Alexa Meara, MD, is an assistant professor of immunology and rheumatology at The Ohio State University.?She maintains a multidisciplinary vasculitis clinic and supervises a longitudinal registry of lupus nephritis and vasculitis patients. Her clinical research is in improving patient–physician communication. She is involved in the medical school and the Lead-Serve-Inspire (LSI) curriculum and serves on the medical school admissions committee; she also teaches multiple aspects of the Part One curriculum. Her interests in medical-education research include remediation and work with struggling learners.
Dr. Meara received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.? She completed her internal medicine training at East Carolina University (ECU) at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, then spent two more years at ECU, first as chief resident in internal medicine, then as the associate training program director for internal medicine. She pursued further training in rheumatology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, completing a four-year clinical and research fellowship?there in 2015.?

Samir Dalvi, MD
Medical Reviewer
Samir Dalvi, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist. He has over 14 years of experience in caring for patients with rheumatologic diseases, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, and gout.
- Psoriatic Arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. August 2024.
- Psoriatic Arthritis. Mayo Clinic. October 2, 2021.
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