Get the Facts About Psoriatic Arthritis
Know your risks and options so you can navigate this diagnosis
Nov 16, 2021
Nov 09, 2022
Created With SupportDeborah D. Gordon has spent her career trying to level the playing field for healthcare consumers. She is co-founder of Umbra Health Advocacy, a marketplace for patient advocacy services, and co-director of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, the premiere membership organization for independent advocates. She is the author of "The Health Care Consumer's Manifesto: How to Get the Most for Your Money," based on consumer research she conducted as a senior fellow in the Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. Deb previously spent more than two decades in healthcare leadership roles, including chief marketing officer for a Massachusetts health plan and CEO of a health technology company. Deb is an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow and a Boston Business Journal 40-under-40 honoree. Her contributions have appeared in JAMA Network Open, the Harvard Business Review blog, USA Today, RealClear Politics, The Hill and Managed Care Magazine. She earned a BA in bioethics from Brown University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.
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Know your risks and options so you can navigate this diagnosis
Medically reviewed by Dr. Stuart Kaplan
What Is Psoriatic Arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a form of arthritis, a condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissue and causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
The causes of PsA aren’t completely known. It’s often inherited but can also be triggered by infection, such as strep throat.
Symptoms
Don’t wait to seek help if you have any of these signs of PsA. Early diagnosis can help protect joints and relieve painful symptoms.
Risk factors
Diagnosing PsA
Rheumatologists are doctors who treat diseases that affect muscles, bones, joints, ligaments and tendons — conditions that used to be called “rheumatism.” They can diagnose PsA in several ways, including:
Treating and managing PsA
This resource was created with support from Bristol Myers Squibb.