Pain Relief For Early Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms

The onset of psoriatic arthritis can occur in many ways and at different times in your life. I started noticing pits on my nails in my early 20’s and didn’t have a clue what it was. Some things were subtle, some not so subtle.

My pain started long before diagnosis

The stiffness in my knee joints and swollen fingers were always a slight problem for me. If the room was too cold, my lower back and shoulder aches were also quite common. I always attributed that to bad posture.

However, as I look back over those years, these signs were pointing towards psoriatic arthritis. I wish my doctors had accepted what I was telling them quicker. They could have begun treating and managing my illness much sooner.

Pain relief tips for psoriatic arthritis

Are you taking notice of how your body might be changing? You can still pay attention to yourself without obsessing over every detail. If you are already feeling that your scope of care might extend to your joints, there are some things you can start doing now. As some of you know, it might be years before you get a diagnosis.

Get more sleep

My recovery clock period begins somewhere between 8 P.M. and midnight. That’s the time my body begins to recuperate from the day and repair whatever needs repairing. If you’ve been running on 4-5 hours of sleep a night, it’s time to give yourself more.

I’ve personally found that with more sleep, my joints hurt considerably less in the day, especially when I’m experiencing a flare-up. But for those of us who experience pain, it’s hard to do that. If possible, try squeezing in a mid-day or afternoon power nap to help your body get the downtime it needs.

Try to get to bed early. I used to be able to hold out till after midnight when I was younger and not feel that tired at all the next day, but times are changing. I try to put all my electronic devices away by 6 P.M. now.

Use supportive devices

My knees have hurt for years. I have a knee brace when my joints are hurting me the most. You can also use some form of lumbar compression or supportive device that would help with pain relief from psoriatic arthritis symptoms. Your sleeping posture matters too.

Ever wanted more than 2 pillows on your bed, like when you stay in hotels, just because? Well, this is the time to spoil yourself. You’re going to need those extra pillows, one for your head, of course, and another for in between your knees if you like sleeping on your side (as I do).

Even a little foam roll placed horizontally in the middle of your back can work wonders.

Don't blame yourself

On the psychological front, it seems like the world is passing us up and not looking back. So, while most things, if not everything, does take longer with psoriatic arthritis, take comfort in knowing that we didn’t do this to ourselves, so don’t blame yourself.

Finding pain relief is not easy

Living with this illness is not easy. I stopped years ago trying to figure out why. There is no cure, so we have to do the best we can. We all have these crazy schedules that totally burn us out.

We learn each day to live with the pain and fatigue which some days can drain us. If I fall off track, I will get back up and keep moving forward. We only have one life to live, there are no do-overs.