Behind the Scenes: The Real Impact of Psoriatic Arthritis

By Editorial Team

2 min read

Last updated: March 2023

What does daily life with psoriatic arthritis really look like? Living with psoriatic arthritis it’s not just about coping with symptoms like chronic fatigue, joint pain and swelling, and skin lesions.

Psoriatic arthritis can be disruptive to many aspects of life including relationships with loved ones, work and home responsibilities, and even the ability to participate in the activities and hobbies you enjoy. 77% of people with PsA who completed the survey shared “I can't do everything I would like to do because of psoriatic arthritis.”

For those with psoriatic arthritis, the condition can change how you live your life every single day. In our annual In America survey, we learned more about the real impact of psoriatic arthritis on the lives of real patients and their families.

Understanding daily symptoms of psoriatic arthritis

A day in the life with psoriatic arthritis means waking up with morning stiffness and trying to cope with a reduced range of motion in your joints. It means finding ways to push through the fatigue and pain while not pushing your body over too far.

For those who cope with psoriasis in addition to psoriatic arthritis skin symptoms such as itching and burning and flaking add an additional layer of daily complications to deal with.

Painful, swollen and stiff joints, fatigue and lower back and/or neck pain are psoriatic arthritis symptoms that affect daily life the most.

The impact on work and career

The demands of a career can be a lot to handle with a chronic condition like psoriatic arthritis. It isn’t just pain that has an impact on the responsibilities of a job, even on low pain days, it can be a struggle to function at full capacity at a job due to brain fog and chronic fatigue.

5% with mild PsA, 65% with moderate PsA, and 30% with severe PsA feel PsA has a negative impact on their ability to work.

The burden and stress of treatment cost

The financial aspects of living with and managing psoriatic arthritis can cause a lot of stress for those with psoriatic arthritis and caregivers. From paying for treatment or balancing health-care related costs with other financial responsibilities it can feel overwhelming.

38% feel PsA has a negative impact on finances, 43% use a financial support program and 13% avoided using a medication due to cost.

Sleep interrupted

We all know sleep is an important part of staying healthy, but psoriatic arthritis symptoms can steal away precious hours of much-needed sleep. Certain PsA symptoms can be more problematic to achieving a good night’s sleep than others.

Symptoms that impact sleep the most are back pain, throbbing pain, numbness or tingling, skin itchiness or soreness and stabbing pain.

The importance of support with PsA

On both the good days and the bad days with psoriatic arthritis there is the need for support. Although many with psoriatic arthritis have a team of people who help provide encouragement, comfort, and support, there are still days when PsA flares require a bit more for your support team. 6 in 10 people living with PsA would like to receive additional support.

Most are looking for support with coping emotionally with their condition, many are also looking for tangible help around the house.

Top 3 types of support patients would like to receive are finding coping strategies or ways to manage stress, emotional support, and help with household duties.

The Psoriatic Arthritis in America 2019 survey was conducted online from May through September of 2019. 1,148 people who have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis completed the survey.