8 Natural Psoriatic Arthritis Treatments to Ask Your Doctor About

If you have psoriasis, there’s a 30% chance you might also have psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This is a type of autoimmune condition that can cause painful joints — especially in your hands and feet.

There are many effective medications available to treat PsA. But some people also like to try natural remedies. These are solutions that promote the body’s ability to heal itself, often without medication or other conventional treatments. There are also complementary treatments, which are alternative treatment options that are commonly used along with standard medical care.

Let’s take a closer look at complementary and natural treatments that can be helpful for PsA.

Natural remedies for psoriatic arthritis

If you’re considering natural treatments for PsA, talk with a healthcare professional. They can help you decide which ones may be worth trying. Here are eight possible treatments to consider adding to your regimen.

1. CBD products

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural extract from cannabis plants. CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the active ingredient in marijuana that causes the feeling of being high — come from the same plant. But unlike THC, CBD affects different receptors in your brain and doesn’t have the same effect.

CBD is thought to help relieve pain from various health conditions, so researchers were curious if it worked for PsA pain. In clinical studies, researchers have found that CBD is effective for some people, but doesn’t work for others.

Scientists surveyed people with PsA who use CBD and found that over 50% use it for pain relief. But when researchers measured pain scores, there was no difference between CBD users and non-users. So, it’s difficult to measure its effectiveness. There are not enough studies on CBD to know if it’s safe or effective for PsA.

2. Warm baths

Some studies suggest that warm water is helpful for people with arthritis. Specifically, it may help ease stiffness and joint pain. Adding Epsom salts to your bath might provide an added benefit.

Try keeping bath water between 92℉ and 100℉ and soak for no more than 20 minutes. If you’re having a PsA flare-up, it’s best to avoid heat. Cold remedies are usually better in that case.

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3. Supplements

Many supplements available in stores and online claim to help with joint pain. But there isn’t much evidence to support most of them.

That said, turmeric supplements might help improve symptoms in people with PsA because turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. But turmeric can interact with medications and cause side effects, so check out these tips on how to take turmeric safely. 

There’s no evidence that fish oil or Vitamin D supplements will help with PsA symptoms. But people with PsA are often deficient in vitamin D, which is important for bone health. So, your health care team might recommend supplementation for other reasons.

4. Energy healing therapy

Energy healing is a natural therapy based on the idea that energy flowing in your body can become out of balance. The purpose for the therapy is to re-balance energy flow. This therapy may include:

• Therapeutic touch

• Magnetic healing

• Reiki

• Crystals

So far, studies show energy healing may help in managing some lifelong conditions. More research is needed to see if this treatment can help PsA.

5. Acupuncture

Acupuncture uses small needles placed in specific points on your body to affect energy flow. Some studies do support the use of acupuncture for other types of joint pain, inflammation, and arthritis.

But currently there’s limited research on the use of acupuncture for PsA. There’s some evidence of benefits. But the studies are small and not robust enough to make any recommendations. Other mind-body treatments that may help PsA include yoga and tai chi. These can improve mobility, balance, and stress levels.

6. Massage

Massage therapy can help with physical and mental relaxation. It may also provide short-term relief for certain types of pain and health conditions. But the evidence around its benefits for PsA is lacking. So, a healthcare professional may recommend massage on a case-by-case basis.

7. Behavioral therapy

Working with a therapist on the mental health aspects of PsA can be helpful. Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help provide effective strategies to cope with pain. More specifically, CBT helps you learn better ways of coping with pain from PsA by helping you shift your thinking patterns.

8. Biofeedback

Some CBT therapists may also use biofeedback as a relaxation technique. This method retrains your thought process to lower muscle tension and pain. 

Some studies suggest biofeedback may help with other types of arthritis and psoriasis. More research is needed to see how effective it is for PsA.

Other non-medicine treatments for psoriatic arthritis

If you’re interested in any form of non-medication treatment for PsA, there are more options. The treatment options below are considered more conventional than the ones above, but they still don’t involve medication. Even better, expert guidelines recommend them. And there’s a good amount of research to back them up.

1. Exercise

Regular exercise provides many health benefits, including better mood, improved sleep, and weight management. Water exercise (hydrotherapy) is particularly helpful for people with joint pain.

Exercise can also help protect heart health, which is especially important for people with PsA. That’s because chronic inflammation can raise the risk of heart disease.

That said, exercising with PsA might feel difficult, especially if it already affects your heart, lungs, or causes enthesitis (inflammation around ligaments or tendons). In that case, a physical therapist can teach you safe exercises and how to do them correctly (more below).

2. Dietary changes

There’s no specific diet for PsA. But research suggests the Mediterranean diet is linked to lower disease activity in PsA. Following this type of eating pattern means:

• Adding anti-inflammatory foods like berries and leafy green vegetables

• Limiting inflammatory foods like sugar and red meat

• Incorporating nutritious fats and whole grains

3. Physical therapy

Physical therapy is recommended for people with PsA. That’s because it’s the best way to address mobility for those with joint pain and stiffness. Physical therapy can help:

• Lessen pain

• Improve function and mobility

• Lower disease activity

• Improve quality of life

A physical therapist can help you with an exercise program that won’t increase your risk of injury or worsen your symptoms. They can also determine if any type of orthosis (like a brace, splint, or shoe insert) might help your mobility.

4. Occupational therapy

​​Occupational therapy can help you learn to manage your condition in daily life. If pain makes certain tasks difficult, an occupational therapist can teach you different ways to perform them.

You can learn how to:

• Protect your joints

• Use helpful tools to make tasks easier

• Do tasks differently to lessen pain

• Use splints or other devices

• Improve your grip strength

5. Quitting smoking

People who smoke are more likely to develop PsA compared to the general population. They are also less likely to respond to PSA treatment. In addition, both smoking and PsA are linked with cardiovascular disease. 

So considering this, and countless studies showing negative health problems linked to smoking, it’s best to avoid it altogether. Reach out to your healthcare team if you need help quitting.

Why try natural treatments for psoriatic arthritis?

When you’re in pain, it makes sense to do everything you can and look into all the options. Many people choose to add natural and alternative therapies to their treatment regimen to get extra relief from pain. The therapies are meant to work alongside — not replace — conventional PsA treatments. 

While medications and traditional therapies can be effective, alternative treatments may add another layer of pain relief and comfort. Instead of trying just one treatment, studies show that using a combination often works best. For example, CBT combined with exercise has better results than either method on its own.

Important safety considerations

“Natural” or alternative remedies are sometimes used instead of conventional treatments. But experts don’t recommend this for a few reasons:

• Many remedies, such as herbs and supplements, aren’t regulated. This means they could be contaminated, interact with medications, or waste your money.

• Expert guidelines recommend treatments that have evidence to back them up. And these guidelines are updated regularly as new research comes out. In many cases, natural treatments aren’t studied in robust, scientifically-sound ways.

• Stopping conventional treatments for PsA increases your risk of ongoing inflammation and joint damage. You can’t always see or feel what’s going on in your body, so it’s best to continue treatment as prescribed. Plus, it’s easier to stay on track than play catch-up.

• Many natural and alternative treatments require money, time, and energy. Use caution if you don’t have resources to spare.

All that said, be sure to speak with your healthcare team about treatments you’re interested in. Even if they don’t recommend them, they can help you understand potential side effects and how to incorporate new treatments safely.

Can psoriatic arthritis be cured naturally?

No. There isn’t a cure for PsA. In general, most natural treatments don’t have a lot of evidence showing that they work specifically for PsA. That said, as long as they don’t cause harm, you may find that natural treatments help you feel better.

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Written by:

Cara Rosenbloom, RD

Cara Rosenbloom, RD, has been a registered dietitian for 22 years. She began her career working as a dietitian at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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