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Stanford Health Care

Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis

How is psoriatic arthritis treated?

Treatment can help relieve symptoms and prevent damage to your joints. Treatment includes medicines and physical and occupational therapy.

Take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), for mild pain. If psoriasis symptoms get worse after you take these medicines, call your doctor right away. For severe arthritis, stronger drugs may be used to help reduce pain and prevent joint damage. These include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (called DMARDs), biologics, and a drug known as a PDE4 inhibitor. Steroid injections or pills may also be given to relieve joint pain.

A physical therapist may help you move and stay active, build your strength, learn to manage daily tasks, and reduce pain.

Some people with severe arthritis may need surgery to replace or repair damaged joints.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

Closed Trials