Stupid question... newly diagnosed

Riverofdragons

Only had a few minutes with the Doc after my psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and I forgot to ask loads of questions, so hoping you can help me.

I have really bad pain in my elbows, shoulders, and fingers as well as my back, but the mri (full spine) and ultrasounds (hands and feet) but only one of the fingers, my heels and my lower spine show damage.

This might be an obvious question, but does the pain come first and after some time become damage? Are the steroid injections only given in damaged joints?

Thanks

Chris_R

Hi @Riverofdragons

Welcome to the online community,glad you have found us.

You say that you have just been diagnosed with psoriatic Arthritis but forgot to ask a lot of questions pertaining to your pain and where it is in relation to the MRI.

Here are a few links that may help

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroid-injections/

Hope these links all help in some way.

Please keep in touch and tell us how you get on and do go to the forums and chat to others ,the forums are full of people all of which have different forms of arthritis but understand what you are going through.

All the best Christine

jamieA

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/58549/stupid-question-newly-diagnosed

Hi @Riverofdragons

A significantly inflamed left knee was the first sign in my case. But the joint pain came before the inflammation with my other joints. In fact it was some months after the initial diagnosis that a rheumatology nurse went round my joints physically examining them and pointing out which joints were inflamed. I didn't realise some of them were. Apparently you need to have at least 3 joints inflamed to be considered for biologic therapy.

One of the rheumatology staff who saw me said that the MRI of my lower back was to check the sacroilliac joints as their state was a known possible indicator of PsA. Like you I've had various ultrasound scans that haven't shown inflammation in joints that were sore at the time. My right wrist gives me problems and every so often swells till it's about 1cm diameter bigger than my left - I measured it - but ****'s law by the time I see rheumatology it's gone back down and an ultrasound shows no inflammation. On one occasion I was admitted to hospital, given a steroid injection by A&E and then seen by a rheumatologist 4 days later. He said he could only find signs of osteoarthritis and no signs of PsA and put that down to the steroid working on the inflammation.

Initially I was given multiple steroid injections into my left knee and then right shoulder as they were the worst. As other joints joined the party the rheumatology clinic started giving me the steroid injections into my rump as they said that this allowed the steroid to flow around my body better and reduced the possibility of damage to the joints by repeated direct steroid injections.

The creaky joints website has quite a good page on PsA.

https://creakyjoints.org/about-arthritis/psoriatic-arthritis/psa-overview/psoriatic-arthritis-stages-progression/

Riverofdragons

Thank you! Your response and the creaky joints site have been really helpful. I can stop feeling like such a fraud!

JenHB

Also try and avoid google (yes, I'm aware I need to listen to my own advice) - probably use this site/forum as a good source of information!