feel well in the morning, and begin to experience a bad flare-up by the afternoon or evening. If you notice that your medicine hasn’t been working well, talk with your doctor about a backup treatment plan.
Additionally, it is a good idea to have extra pain relievers on hand, according to David Pisetsky, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and past president of the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative.
“Talk to your doctor about the best pain reliever for you and make sure you have it with you at all times,” he says.
5. Get plenty of rest
On days when you are having bad flare-ups, you may simply need to take it easy and get some rest. If you can, try to go to bed earlier and rest throughout the day. You should also limit your to-do list as much as possible. Try saving the laundry for another day or ordering takeout instead of cooking.
6. Utilize heat, cold, stretching, and massages
If you have morning stiffness, a warm bath or shower first thing in the morning can help. Heat or cold typically works well on stiff, achy joints. You can do gentle stretch exercises to increase range of motion and massage your joints with essential oils.
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7. Get moving
Movement will help loosen your joints and reduce inflammation and pain. Exercise can also reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, which often accompanies psoriatic arthritis.
8. Ask for help at work
One-third of people with psoriatic arthritis report missing work because of the condition and say that the symptoms affect their ability to work full-time, according to a study published in June 2016 in the journal Rheumatology and Therapy.
Instead of struggling through the pain at work, which could lead to a flare, ask your boss if there are any workplace adjustments that can be made to make it easier to do your job.
When to see your doctor
Make sure to regularly check in with your doctor to make sure that you are doing all you can to reduce your psoriatic arthritis symptoms, Pisetsky suggests. Sometimes simply adjusting doses or adding another medication may make all the difference for you.
“If you’re having more bad days than good days, you may not have the right treatment plan,” he says.
If you have psoriatic arthritis, it may be difficult to push through those bad days, but hopefully, these tips will help.