Alternative Therapies

I've had PA since I was 12 - I didn't get diagnosed till 18.  Before my 30th birthday I had both hips, both knees replaced, my wrist fused and my shoulder pinned.  Autoimmune diseases are your body attacking your body. So they must fight with meds that are horrible but, most importantly, they work. The other problem is without these drugs your bones, like mine, will be attacked and damaged to the point of total joint replacement.

In the early days I tried everything. The only effect it had was on my wallet. I've found the "alternative" crowd just blame the victim when their bottle of expensive water doesn't work for you. I actually had one naturopath that had the audacity to tell me "the reason it's not working is because you love your disease too much"!  That appointment didn't end well.

As for accupunture - I do believe it helps with the pain but I can't fit in a session or afford a session 24/7.  So I take pain meds.  Some may attack my stoic fibre - I tell them to go to hell.  These drugs are there so your life isn't completely ratsh*t. I've been on the same dossage for over 20 years.

Other meds that have been great for me: Celebrex and Amitriptyline (an antidepressant but great for pain management). Remedial massage certainly helps, hydrotherapy is also good. Then there are the stronger drugs but I leave that up to your rheumatologist to discuss with you. These are the drugs that will alleviate the disease's progress and save your bones and joints.

I hope you feel better soon!

Holy S##t! 

Im still on mild pain killers and NSAID's.  don't know how you do it! I'm 51, and by what I've read here today for the first time I have a lot to come (possibly). I'm still active enough to swim, bike and run! Even with the pain in my feet and hands. 

The Medes you mention I've never heard of! I tend to steer clear of them 

Hi ! I'm sorry you have PsA. If you want to recover your quaility of life stick to traditional medicine where there is scientific evidence that the treatments work. As a moderator on another board for PA, those that chose the alternative route always regretted it. They spent a fortune and the arthritis progressed. Early agressive treatment is reccomended these days (see NICE guidelines) so messing around with alternative stuff looses you time and the chance of an effective outcome.

You have seen a rheumatologist? What treatment did they suggest?

Accupuncture by the way is not reccomended for those with PsA. It can damage the inflammed tendons.

Arthritis Research UK has comprehensive information on the different trreatment options open to you. 

What country are you in?

hi Oakapis,

thanks for the info.

I am quite concerned, after reading many posts / replies on here that prescribed medication is praised so highly despite many, many scary side - effects!

We are all different, and have ranging levels of pain, discomfort, or mobility issues thanks to our common ground.

Im not trying to be argumentative, and i dont think im in a "denial stage" either, but the thought of playing off my pains for organ damage, hair loss and other ailments is completely against my aims.

This morning i went for a 10k run, tomorrow i may do some circuit training, next week a 60 mile bike ride.

I find that for my self, its knowing my limits, knowing when to rest, moderation in everything.

Being active is my coping mechanism, i will need to scale things back in the future im sure.

Currently i have only taken four (4) ibuprofen all week! Its a good week for me so far. Probably pay for it next week.

Hi there,

Just saw your post and I signed in just to answer to you!

I am 51 male, mild p scalp, mild inverse that's all.undiagnosed PSA but I have it for sure so that's the situation my friend:

I have visited the last 5 years my rheum four times but I have no diagnosis why ? Well don't know but that's what I do and my p is now very very mild and my PSA is about 2 months in total flares and 10 months sleepy. However just to point out that when p appeared 7 years ago for the first year it was terrible specially the inverse part.

So, let's see, I do about 2 hours of sports every day ( that's imperative ) cross training, swimming, bike, run , Pilates if I stop for 2 days I start to feel aches !!! I take tuneric power every day with all my meals , I sleep 9 hours per day, no sugar at all, plenty of vegetables every day plus fish oil! I leave in the sun for 8 months and it does help a lot for scalp. Just to give you a hint I take anti inflammatory pills let's say 20 days per year, I put scalp med 20 days a year and put hydrocortisone 100 days a year. I don't care so much about p cause I manage it and it's very mild as far as PSA is concerned stay stay stay stay active lose weight have fun !!!! I strongly believe that that this condition is related to the nervous system in a way, no surprise that it pops up when we are stressed. Heavy exercise produced endorphins which calms the whole system down. That said probably later on I will need heavier meds but since it's mild I am pushing it further !!! Aaaa btw I am a triathlete!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have just been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, after many years of symptoms that have gradually gotten worse.  No one ever tied all the joint issues to my scalp "rash".  It took me and my dermatologist to make the connection.  Any way the flare ups have gotten more frequent and more painful.  Just started methotrexate while I was in full "flare up" mode, and it has gotten worse.  

Just curious to see if anyone has noticed if there is a connection with when you start your methotrexate and how well it works???  It seems to me that if you are in a Good phase and start it, it may work better at keeping the inflammation down.  As opposed to taking  it when your symptoms are bad, may take longer or not overcome it at all.

Any suggestions or comments?  

I've had psoriasis for over 10 years. A very severe form of. I've tried extremely expensive medicine as well as unconventional herbal treatments. None worked, you know. But a few years ago I stumbled upon a great cream and shampoo called PsoEasy and it has become a sort of remedy for me. No, of course, I haven't got over psoriasis completely but it has been significantly relieved by these products. You should try some of these products.