Psoriatic arthritis symptoms: what to know

Psoriatic arthritis symptoms can include joint pain, swelling, morning stiffness, tendon pain, skin psoriasis, and nail changes. Symptoms may affect one or several areas, come and go, and differ between people.

Inflammation may cause a swollen or tender joint, reduced movement, or stiffness after waking or sitting still. Fingers and toes can swell along their length. Pain where a tendon attaches, such as the heel, may make walking uncomfortable. Lower-back or neck stiffness can also occur. Skin patches and nail pitting, thickening, or lifting may appear before, during, or after joint symptoms.

These features can suggest an inflammatory pattern, but none proves the diagnosis alone. Other joint, skin, nerve, or tendon conditions can produce similar complaints. A clinician combines your history with an examination and, when needed, investigations.

Write down which joints hurt or swell, when stiffness is worst, and how symptoms affect sleep, work, walking, or hand use. Photograph intermittent swelling or skin and nail changes. Gentle movement, pacing, and comfortable footwear may support day-to-day function. Do not start or stop anti-inflammatory medication without checking whether it is suitable for you; physiotherapy may help maintain movement when tailored to your symptoms.

Arrange medical review for ongoing joint pain, swelling, or stiffness, particularly when daily activities are becoming harder. Seek urgent care for a hot, very swollen joint with fever, a severe injury, sudden weakness, or a painful red eye with blurred vision. Rapidly worsening symptoms should not be explained away as a routine flare without advice.

Which symptoms point toward inflammatory arthritis? Could my skin or nail changes be related? Do I need a rheumatology assessment? What activity is suitable now? Which warning signs should prompt urgent review?