does Joint movement make P worse?

[flora_petal]

I have a farm, my crops require much hand labor. I grease, oil my hands before going out. For instance, After pruning for hours, the p on hands will be much worse for a few days. Even if my hands are greased, gloved, and kept dry. I couldn't figure it out, now am wondering about PA. I have it on hands ,elbows, knees and scattered all over my back and hips. I walk alot in my work, and sometimes will have several days of weakness in my legs. Have days when I feel feverish, and chill. I just keep on working, slowing down on bad days. Do others have skin problems worsen, just from moving the joints more? I don't think an official diagnosis of PA would do me any good, no one in our rural area has done my P any good. I guess I might spread the hard jobs out more, if i was sure it would make p worse to do too much in one day. Flora

[lapradef]

Hi, Flora --

Please understand that I'm a layman and my advice is worth exactly what you're paying for it.

You've really raised two questions: First, if you have P on your palms, I can certainly understand that pruning for hours could aggravate it. Otherwise, I find it hard to image that joint movement would affect skin psoriasis, except maybe the inverse form -- friction in the armpits for example.

Secondly, however, you've described several symptoms of PA, but you don't mention swollen, inflamed or painful joints. In any event, I've found joint movement (exercises in my case) to be extremely helpful. I want to keep my "ROM" (range of motion) to the extent possible. Of course, if you're down to the point that bone is grinding on bone, my answer would be different.

Hope this helps --

GL

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[Zwijndrecht]

I will also start with the warning that I am not a doctor.

I am not sure how the work ties in to make your skin worse. I have not heard of such a thing unless you are directly irritating it.

As to PA, the symptoms seem to match. Feverish achy times were the first warnings of PA, 30 years ago when I was 15. It took 10 years for a diagnosis after that, because it beat the psoriasis.

Read all you can on this site about both, and get the appropriate info from NPF to give to the best doctor in the area. If they care, they will read it and work with you.

As to the clearing of the skin, a lot of the decision is how hard you want to work at it. Most of my life I chose to live with it. Finally, the treatments I needed to survive for arthriits..mtx, remicade, put the skin away.

[hazy]

Originally posted by Zwijndrecht

I am not sure how the work ties in to make your skin worse. I have not heard of such a thing unless you are directly irritating it.


Trust me, when you have p that fully engulfs your hands/feet, not just work, but everything you do directly irritates it.

[paboswell52]

I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH P/A. THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION , YES IT HURTS TO MOVE ALOT.I TEACH K-4th GRADE.YOU STILL HAVE TO KEEP GOING AND PACE YOURSELF. SLOWLY. I HAVE TO SIT ON A HEATING PAD TO JUST MOVE IN THE MORNINGS FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES. AFTER 3 ADVILS I HAVE TO MOVE WITHOUT A CHOICE. HOME AT 3:OO BACK ON THE OLD HEATING PAD JUST TO GET BY. I SURE WISH YOU THE BEST. POLLY IN TENNESSEE

[flora_petal]

My P is on the backs of my hands, directly over the joints and small bones in my hands. Also my wrist joints, and as I said, elbows and knees. I can't decide if the joint movement is making my skin worse, or if the stretching and movement of the skin is making it worse. I guess, either way, I will try not to overload the hand movement in one day. I will try to stretch it out over more time, see if that helps. My joints hurt more in winter, less in summer. As for inflamation, the heat coming off my broken out areas is amazing sometimes. I guess we all have to figure out what works out best for us. Thanks for the help, Flora