Managing Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) at the Office: Tips to Avoid Stiffness

If you’re living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and pain in your joints and tendons, you’re likely aware that sitting for long periods can make stiffness worse.

If you’re working at a job that involves lots of sitting, you may experience pain and stiffness by the end of your work day. 

“We find that people who have arthritis, and people who have psoriatic arthritis in particular, really benefit from regular movement,” says Hana Conlon, NP, Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 

What are tips to avoid stiffness from your psoriatic arthritis at the office?

Here are a few of Conlon’s tips for avoiding stiffness and pain at the office:

• Learn stretches you can do at your desk while sitting in your office chair. 

• Set a phone alarm to remind you to get up and move around: Stretch out your back each hour or take a short walk to the water cooler.

• Work with a physical or occupational therapist to learn stretches and activities for PsA: Working together with them to target stretches and activities that you can do in the places where you’re having pain will help you get through the work day. 

Talk to your care team if you continue to have pain and stiffness despite these changes. Persistent symptoms may be a sign that you need to adjust your treatment plan.

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Dr. Mera Goodman is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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