Thats whyfinding reliefis so important.
But you may feel like finding the right medication is like navigating a maze.
However, unlike mazes, there isnt just one answer for each person with psoriatic arthritis.
These 3 people with psoriatic arthritis say biologics helped them stay active.
Now, onto stories that might give you the inspiration to keep going.
I wrote a childrens book.
It was the most horrific thing, Ridgeway tells SELF.
She was eventually diagnosed withpsoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The app uses sensors that detect her movements and provides feedback on her form.
Before, she couldnt even raise her arms or lift a jug of milk.
Now, shes strong enough to pick up her two youngest children.
Im stronger at 38 than I was at 30, Ridgeway says.
She can even do handstands.
It was such an overwhelming, happy feeling to do that with my daughter, she says.
Just keep trying things until you find something that works for you, she says.
I can cook for myself and my family again.
Meaghan Ingram, 28, has always been very into cooking.
I view the kitchen as my domain, she tells SELF.
With time, Ingram says that she was able to gradually increase how much she could move.
The amount of patience you need is unbelievable, she says.
You have to be patient with your own mind, your body, and with the treatments themselves.
Once the medication took effect, Ingram was able to trade food delivery apps for recipes again.
Actions she once did regularly became major markers of progress.
I was able to start chopping up vegetables again, Ingram recalls.
That was excitingto be able to grip the knife and repetitively chop up and down.
It wasnt just the familiar flavors and motions that Ingram was happy to get back.
Before her treatment, Ingram wouldnt be able to move for days when the pain became unbearable.
I wouldnt say that you always get your whole life back to the way it was, she says.
However, she adds that treatment definitely improves the quality of your day-to-day life.
Im training for my first bodybuilding contest.
Lauren Scholl, 33, views exercise as her me time.
Long-distance running and dancing used to be her favorite ways to unwind and zone out.
She remembers waking up dreading the physical toll it took on her body.
Eventually, though, Scholl found a medication that worked.
She receives a biologic infusion once a month.
Now, as a personal trainer, being able to work out is the second-best change in her life.
I feel like I can give so much more to my clients, she says.
Scholl also started bodybuilding and structured her routine so she isnt always strengthening the same muscles.
Her sons are impressed too.
They think its pretty cool.
