Managing a Never-ending Psoriatic Arthritis Flare

My last psoriatic arthritis (PsA) flare felt like it would never end. In the spring of 2026, I was miserable. I watched weeks turn into months.

It was the first time my sacroiliac (SI) joint had ever hurt this much. I used it too much. I had to learn how to deal with pain in a body part I never thought about before.

I tried standard pain options to cope. I used heat with hot showers, heated car seats, and my heating pad. It helped a little. I tried cold packs when I could tolerate them. Over-the-counter drugs helped a bit, too. These small things helped, but they were not what got me through it.

What really helped me was a combination of physical, mental, and emotional care.

Keep track of your symptoms

People always tell me to track my PsA symptoms. There are lots of apps you can use, but I could not stick with any of them. Daily logs and pain scales did not work for me. I wanted to write down how the pain felt and what I could do that day.

Making small notes on a calendar worked best. I wrote notes most days. I skipped a day if there was no real change. I liked looking at trends over time, like comparing 1 Friday to the last.

It gave me an accurate picture of my progress. I got reassurance that I was slowly improving. It was also easy to notice when I was getting worse. Tracking did not make my pain go away, but it gave me the push I needed to keep going.

Technology can help you manage during a flare

I had a lot on my plate when my flare came. Many tasks had to wait until I got better, which was frustrating. I felt useless and isolated. Looking back, I am grateful to have had so much technology. Life slowed down, but it did not stop.

Thanks to the internet, I worked from home. I went to virtual therapy sessions, which were a lifeline. Friends and I had video chats. I ordered groceries and other items for pickup or delivery. Not needing to leave the house helped me rest and recover. It also kept me grounded on hard days.

Gentle motion can act as lotion

My flare came after weeks of intense physical therapy. I was scared of moving beyond gentle walks. While the first few weeks of rest helped, being afraid to move did not help me. My big breakthrough came on a very painful night. I was on a business trip and in agony from travel and long office days. Out of desperation, I thought back to simple exercises from physical therapy. Since they did not make the pain worse, I did them on my hotel bed throughout the night.

I woke up the next day with much less pain. It was not gone, but it was better. Exercises will not cure flares, but this was a good reminder to keep moving. Overuse is not helpful, but being afraid to move can be just as bad.

Be patient with post-flare recovery

When the pain went away, I was grateful. Still, it was hard to let my body recover. I was ready to get back to my normal routine, but my body was not. It is important to ease back into old habits.

I still struggle with bending over and reaching, but I take it 1 day at a time. My walks are getting longer. Pain is not triggered as quickly. Moving gently, tracking progress, and delegating tasks help me feel better each day. The most important thing is to be patient because progress is not linear.