PODIATRIST DISCUSSES EFFECTS OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS ON FEET

We don’t tend to think much about our feet until they start acting up—and with a whopping 118 bones and joints between the two of them, there are a lot of ways they can do just that. For those living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), that can spell increased pain, swelling, and tenderness. “No one really knows why psoriatic arthritis affects the feet so often, but we do know that the disease tends to attack the smaller joints, which makes the feet particularly susceptible, and it also can affect the area where tendons and ligaments attach to the bone,” says Doug Tumen, DPM, a podiatrist in Woodstock, NY, and author of Ask the Foot Doctor. 

 

Dr. Doug Tumen

 

Generally less serious—but still annoying!—are the ways that PsA affects your skin and toenails. According to a study published in the journal Rheumatologia, 80% of PsA patients have “pitting,” which looks like small dents on the nails. “This usually starts as a cosmetic concern, but there are complications that can occur, such as thickening of the nails which can become painful in shoes, or localized nail infections from pressure on the nail bed,” says Dr. Tumen. PsA can also impact the actual foot skin itself (typically on the bottom of the feet), which can lead to irritation.

 

Source: Megan McMorris, Health Central [12/3/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News