Psoriatic Arthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are easy to mix up. Both cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. But they’re more like siblings than identical twins.

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“Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis share some common symptoms. But they are distinct diseases,” says rheumatologist Rochelle Rosian, MD. “Getting a correct diagnosis will help your provider develop a more personalized treatment plan.”

Understanding arthritis types

People talk about arthritis as though it’s one disease. But the term can describe a wide variety of conditions like:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. (If psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are siblings, think of osteoarthritis as their distant cousin.) Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on the joints over time and is most common in older adults.

Autoimmune arthritis

This category is where you’ll find psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, both diseases that involve your immune system. They occur when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, including your joints.

Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis share several features. “Both diseases cause joint pain and swelling,” Dr. Rosian says. “And in both cases, symptoms usually show up suddenly in episodes called flares, before eventually calming down again.”

Psoriatic arthritis basics

Psoriatic arthritis affects your joints and the places where tendons and ligaments attach to bones. Many people with psoriatic arthritis also have psoriasis, a disease that causes scaly, flaky patches of skin.

Who gets psoriatic arthritis?

About 30% of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms can develop at any age but usually show up between ages 35 and 55. It affects men and women equally. The arthritis can occur before the skin disease or with mild skin involvement, such as only nail or scalp psoriasis.

Psoriatic arthritis symptoms

Common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:

• Pain and swelling in your joints (which may appear red and warm to the touch).
• Joint stiffness.
• Tenderness or pain in your heel.
• Psoriasis.
• Fatigue.

Rheumatoid arthritis basics

Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling and stiffness in your joints. It usually affects the same joints on both sides of your body, such as both thumbs or both wrists. Sometimes, it also affects internal organs.

Who gets rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is more than twice as common in women as in men. It can develop at any age but most often develops between ages 20 and 50.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms

Common symptoms …….

Source: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/psoriatic-arthritis-vs-rheumatoid-arthritis/