Psoriatic arthritis can become a debilitating health condition, physically, that reduces quality of life in older adults. If you are caring for an aging parent that is complaining of extreme foot pain, it is important to understand how this condition may be related to arthritis and, in particularly, the relationship to psoriatic arthritis.
Unlike typical arthritic pain and health complications, the elderly who suffer from psoriatic arthritis are often those who are also plagued by the skin condition known as psoriasis. Therefore, if your parent has a history of skin disorders, and if heel pain is a common complaint now, then there may be a connection between these two conditions – a connection that is often overlooked by healthcare professionals. Much like silent reflux symptoms – which are also overlooked – elderly adults experience a huge disservice in their health when proper diagnosis is not made.
While there is no cure for psoriatic arthritis, there are treatments that can be provided to alleviate pain and associated complications with mobility. With this type of arthritis, skin and tissue regeneration is often abnormal and this is the cause for joint complications. In the elderly, especially those who ambulate with assistive devices, it is not uncommon for the most severe joint pain to come in the form of psoriatic arthritis heel pain.
To rule out, or confirm, the presence of psoriatic arthritis, older adults must undergo a series of tests to determine if there are positive arthritis panel testing results using blood work. Using medications that reduce inflammation, promote joint health, and also eating a diet that is catered to the psoriatic condition, will help with the pain in the feet and toes. The key to the optimal health of the elderly adult with this condition will come by continually moving and keeping the feet in full range of motion while using medications to control the symptoms of pain and numbness.
Without proper medical treatment, diet, and physical movement, older adults who have psoriatic arthritis heel pain will often reduce their level of physical activity and, ultimately, this will lead to the development of other secondary physical health conditions as well as mental health issues including depression. It is important, therefore, that this type of foot pain be taken very seriously and that treatment is administered diligently to control the symptoms of arthritis.
Sources: Atlas of Psoriatic Arthritis, by Philip Mease