Alternative Treatments for Psoriatic Arthritis

How Complementary Therapies Can Help Ease Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms

Lifescript.com—April 19, 2013

If you have psoriatic arthritis, certain alternative treatments can help you feel better along with prescription medications. Read on to learn which remedies and lifestyle changes can ease joint pain, swelling and other psoriatic arthritis symptoms...

Miserable with psoriatic arthritis symptoms, such as painful joints, stiffness and swollen fingers and toes?

Although not a substitute for medication, lifestyle changes – such as losing weight, meditating or eating more salmon – can reduce symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease that’s related to psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition.

About 10%-30% of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis (PA), although some people develop the joint condition without any skin symptoms, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. 

Read on for 8 alternative treatments and lifestyle changes that may help control symptoms and make you feel better overall. (Be sure to consult your doctor first.)

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Alternative treatment for psoriatic arthritis #3: Fish oil
In several studies of people with rheumatoid arthritis (a similar form of inflammatory arthritis), those taking fish oil supplements had fewer tender joints and required lower doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications or inflammation-lowering corticosteroids, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

The optimal dose is 400 milligrams of omega-3s daily – about 3.5 ounces of fatty salmon a week, the researchers found. Next steps: Eat more cold-water fish: “It’s best to get fish oil by eating fatty fish like salmon several times a week,” says Deborah McInerney, R.D., a nutritionist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Or swallow fish-oil supplements daily. But talk to your doctor before taking it or any supplement.

“Fish oil can interfere with blood clotting and may cause stomach upset,” McInerney warns.

Flaxseed is another good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds, which is easier to digest than whole, on cereal and salads, she suggests.

This story originally appeared at lifescript.com.