PsA is psoriatic arthritis. It is a form of arthritis that afflicts those who also suffer from or have a family history of psoriasis. In addition to the irritable, itchy, red and silvery scaled patches of skin that accompany psoriasis, a person with PsA can develop inflammation and pain in their joints.

The development of PsA is generally slow, which is why it is more often found in older adults than younger.

Most doctors may recommend over the counter medicines such as NSAIDs – nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Those include ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) and others. Most of these may help with some of the pain and inflammation, but depends upon the person’s system and the degree of their PsA.

If these don’t work, then doctors may prescribe stronger medicines such as Cosentyx, Otezla or other corticosteroids.

They may also recommend any of a number of topical ointments to help with the rash, redness and itchiness.

A growing number of people, including us older people, don’t like taking all of these strong drugs. Have you listened carefully to their commercials? Once they list the possible side effects, you have to wonder what would make anyone in their right mind even want to take a particular drug.

There is another avenue you may want to pursue – holistic medicine. If you’re like me, you instantly put up a defensive wall when you hear things like holistic medicine. I’m a strong science guy who has relied a great deal on scientific facts, but over the years, I’ve also learned that there is more to life than those scientific facts.

So, being the science type I am, I did a little research into what exactly is holistic medicine. The philosophy behind holistic medicine is that your body is more than just a physical body and that other aspects – mind, spirit and emotions – also play an important role in the body’s overall health.

At first, I thought this was a bunch of hooey, until I started realizing just how important things like stress (emotional, mental and spiritual) can be on a person’s health. How many times have you heard that stress can increase one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, ulcers, and so on? What’s causing that stress? More often than not, the stress is not physically caused but due to one’s mental, emotional and spiritual life.

If you have PsA, I recommend you find a holistic doctor who is willing to treat you. That doctor may recommend acupuncture as one alternative in treating your condition. I didn’t believe in acupuncture until I tried it. I have chronic back and neck pain caused by physical injuries, but I found that acupuncture can and has greatly reduced the pain until I do something stupid and aggravate the damaged areas again.

A holistic doctor may also recommend massage therapy and acupressure. A good massage and/or acupressure therapy session can not only help relieve muscle tightness and soreness, but it also helps to relax the body, mind and emotions. Remember, holistic medicine treats the whole person, not just one aspect of a condition.

A holistic doctor may also recommend you try some not so traditional things to treat your PsA with. Some of those alternative treatments may include:

Apple cider vinegar – If your psoriasis is not cracked open or bleeding, applications of apple cider vinegar to the affected skin may help reduce some of the irritation, redness and scaliness.

Tea tree oil – This is a touch and go alternative. Tea tree oil is an essential oil that may relieve some of the skin irritation but be warned that sometimes it can cause skin irritation if applied to normal healthy skin. Use at your own risk, but be careful.

Oats – Some holistic doctors may suggest taking a bath with oats added to the bathwater. It supposedly helps relieve some of the itchy patches of psoriasis. While some may question this remedy, my mom used to give me oatmeal baths with I was young and broken out with poison ivy and it did help relieve some of the itchiness.

Turmeric – A number of people are learning about the powers of turmeric as an anti-inflammatory agent. Adding it to your food or taking turmeric capsules on a daily basis may just help some of the joint and skin inflammation.

Capsaicin – Ever eat a hot pepper? That was the capsaicin in the pepper. It has been found to help block pain receptors, which can be quite beneficial for someone with PsA. If you look at some of the over the counter creams used for PsA, you might be surprised to find capsaicin as one of the ingredients.

Aloe vera – Used topically, it can help to soothe skin irritation.

Epsom salts – Epsom salt contains magnesium which helps promote bone health. Taking a bath or soaking in Epsom salts can help ease some of the joint pain and skin irritation. However, if you are diabetic be warned that using Epsom salts can cause your body to release more insulin.

Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) – Used as topical may have some of the same skin soothing effects of aloe vera.

Fish oil – Fish oil containing Omega-3 fatty acids has been found to help reduce or block inflammation and can ease joint pain.

Ginger – Ginger root has been used for centuries to help relive joint pain. Some sources say that taking ginger three times a day can help reduce some of the knee pain associated with PsA and osteoarthritis.

I’m not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be, but feel it’s worth recommending that someone see a holistic doctor. However, I also recommend one be very careful and do a little research into the holistic treatments your doctor recommends. I’ve known cases where a holistic doctor recommends all kinds of natural treatments that he or she just happens to sell. Sometimes, using those without finding out more about them, can cause other problems you may regret and one can easily spend a fortune on things that may or may not work. Therefore, be responsible and diligent and don’t just blindly follow their lead. After all, it’s your body and you are the one ultimately responsible for it.