Background/Purpose: I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) ten years ago, at 25. I had been dealing with stiffness and chronic fatigue for most of my life. Growing up I was actively accident prone (falling off horses, rock climbing falls, a skiing accident or two). I didn’t think much of my pain growing up as I was so tough on my body. However, the pain I was experiencing, at 25, was unnatural. Approximately a couple months after my relocation from Santa Monica, CA to Houston, TX, I was unable to move my hands and morning inflammation lead to stiffness which severely limited my mobility for 1.5 hours. I was taking 6 Advil (200 mg) around 3x a day. A couple months later psoriasis’ began to appear all over my face, neck, shoulders, and chest.

My primary doctor thought I had stressed induced eczema and possibly lupus. She was able to help expediate my dermatologist appointment. By the time I had my dermatology appointment my fingers swelled to the point of looking like sausage links, my face was swollen and bloated, and I had a hard time standing up or sitting down. The dermatologist was confident that I had psoriasis and naturally with the visibility of my joint inflammation + chronic pain, she was also confident that I had PsA. Within a month I was able to get into a rheumatologist and time to diagnosis was relatively short. I was on Remicade infusions within a couple weeks after my visit. My dosage was 500 mg every 4 weeks and eventually reducing the frequency to every 8 weeks (present day). I do not pair Remicade with other drugs, outside of steroid injections and meloxicam 15mg (as needed).

Intervention: Novel therapy circuit inspired by over-the-counter therapeutic devices

1 out of 4 arthritis individuals experience daily debilitating pain and +80% are dissatisfied with their pain management options during these times (MEDSurvey April 2023). Therapeutic devices mainly encompass one technology (i.e. infrared light, TENS, PEMF), bulky and obvious (i.e. wires, straps, and gadgets to keep the device in place), and expensive! Personally, I spent ~$300 / device and have four devices. I was determined to create a better solution; obtaining flare up relief had to be easier and less frustrating.

Through experimentation, I found using infrared light, electric stimulation, and hot/cold therapies in a specific manner + routines resulted in a reduction of intensity of my flare ups. For 84 days (42 pre and 42 test period) I tracked my: back spasms and sharp pain (back, knees and hips). In the pretest and test period I continued my workout routine which includes swimming and biking 4x a week. During the test period I created a routine of 3 days /week (min.) where I utilized the novel therapy combination: 5 mins infrared light, 10 mins electric simulation, 5 mins hot/cold therapy with reduced intensity of infrared light.

Maintenance:
The Result: -45% reduction in flare up intensity (95% CI p < 0.03)
Reference chart

Quality of Life: I have noticed a significant improvement in my quality of life since the introduction of my novel therapy. The pain and discomfort which used to interfere with my daily routine has significantly reduced. My mood has lifted considerably, and I find myself feeling more optimistic and energetic.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/relief-redefined-a-patients-journey-to-reducing-the-impact-of-her-psa-flare-ups/