Do any of y’all suffer from back pain? It has never been one of my worst problems until recently and suddenly it is like fire in my lower back bringing me to tears. Can this be PsA?
Hi TigerGirl,
Yes it can be. I have PsA which moves from place to place at will and one of those places is my lower back.
k
I would just say see your Dr. It could be anything.. They will know what to look for to determine what is causing the pain. Meanwhile. Try not to dwell on it. The pain will consume u if u let it . Hope fully it is not PsA
I just had a bout of severe back pain. Rheumy or back specialist didn't quite know. Saw a physical therapist who fixed me up with a few exercises after working on my back, and all is better!
Definitely worth discussing with your doctor. Which type of PsA do you have?
It definitely can. My back hurt like heck for pretty much 8 months of no real relief. Just like everyone else said bring it up to your doc. I find adding a heating pad (I lay on it when I first get to bed, crank the heat, turn it off and then lay on it), arthritis rub and baths really help with the symptoms.
I really hope you get this figured out and get some relief soon!
Low back pain was my first symptom. In the beginning the Dr. Was thinking AS, then it was changed to PsA. It moves around often from back and hands..
I use heat and meds and fortunately Humira has helped.
Hi TigerGirl,
I'm just getting over a flare in my right hip (buttock). Most of my pain is in the lower back and buttocks. I have had flares for years in my hips, actually one of the first places I started having flares. Prior to my diagnosis I was told it was bursitis (hips), pisiforms syndrome (lower back & hips), rotator cuff tendonitis(shoulders), tennis elbow and it very well could be as the enthesitis is part of PSA. The last few years my feet and hands started flaring too. My fingers and toes swell up like sausages (dactylitis). I use to flare a few time yearly, they lasted 3-5 days and then I would go on to my function life. Now I have daily pain in my hips, roaming pain in other areas and increased pain with activity. The flares come every 2 or less weeks and last a week or longer. Absolutely tell your doctor! I keep a journal and record any changes in pain, flares and also take pictures. I hope you find some relief soon!!
I have a diagnosis of PsA but I just never had this kind of back pain before - that takes me completely out of the ballgame. I take Humira and mtx. My arthritis started out very generally hopping around from joint to joint, hips, shoulders elbows, wrists, fingers- basically all over- and gradually became symmetrical. At first I was diagnosed as RA but when my fingertips were affected I was categorized PsA, even though I have only had one episode of psoriasis. I do take pics 
! The pain in my back has mainly been stiffness. Now it is burning and aching that is unbearable. Also my ankles swell like the elephant woman if I stand on the for very long at all - even to do housework. I dread bedtime because of the pain in my shoulders. I have begun to worry about heart disease because I can’t exercise like I used to do. I do water aerobics when I can but even that makes my shoulders and hips ache. I am so discouraged and worried. I’ve gone through so many meds and nothing is helping. I’ve lost control of my life…
Also I feel like I don’t really have flares, so to speak. There is always something on me that is flared… And my shoulders never ever feel unflared. If I wake up and something is “loose” I comment on it immediately and celebrate. I’m always wondering why my arthritis isn’t like other people’s.
Low back pain was one of my first symptoms along with fingertip psoriasis. The pain was unbearable. I had to grab my right pants leg to pull that leg forward in order to walk. That was the first time my GP took me seriously and ordered a bunch of tests. He thought I had AS and sent me to the rheumatologist. After a few visits, I got the PsA diagnosis with Spondylitis. I love BioFreeze or any other like arthritis rub. I learned about Salonpas from this site, those are great and I like the Thermocare Heat Wraps. Humira has also helped. Check with your Dr. to make sure. :)
Sounds kind of like my experience. I don’t know if I flare so much either. I also find that when my back hurts my neck doesn’t hurt and vice versa and the rest of me I find it travels a lot less consistently. But nonet-the-less nothing ever really totally relaxes that often and when it does I take notice like you.
Sometimes however my back hurts so much that I can’t talk or make any sense, it’s can be so brutal!
TigerGirl said:
Also I feel like I don't really have flares, so to speak. There is always something on me that is flared... And my shoulders never ever feel unflared. If I wake up and something is "loose" I comment on it immediately and celebrate. I'm always wondering why my arthritis isn't like other people's.
West Coast Meg, yes! My pain moves around but I am never completely free of pain. The pain is there but maybe terrible in my elbows or terrible in my back. Do you feel as though usage affects where you pain is? I notice my pain is worse after activity. Like after vacuuming my elbow will ache for a day or two. Then sometime there is no reason. I worry that there is something else going on with my body when other people’s experiences are so different.
Tiger Girl,
You describe my aches and pains perfectly.. especially after doing housework, etc. repetetive work is the worst.... i try to do all of my chores... like 10 min. rest .. 10 min rest.. i found it to work pretty well...
gentle huggs
karen
Same here.... I went grocery shopping yesterday and when I was done my hips and lower back were burning in pain. I am also taking short breaks to help elevate the pain and finding it helps. The more I do, the more pain I get....Burning pain in my hands, feet and of course back and hips.
I woke up this morning and my left wrist is acting up...The joint pain moves around from joint to joint, however my hips and back have been aching continuously for months now. It seems to be the pattern of the disease, I am wondering if the right treatment will help...or is this just the way of life with PSA?
Karen said:
Tiger Girl,
You describe my aches and pains perfectly.. especially after doing housework, etc. repetetive work is the worst.... i try to do all of my chores... like 10 min. rest .. 10 min rest.. i found it to work pretty well...
gentle huggs
karen
Karen said: especially after doing housework, etc. repetetive work is the worst… i try to do all of my chores… like 10 min. rest … 10 min rest…
OMG! Right!? I mopped my kitchen today. Big deal, except it is. I did half then took a break, practically gasping in pain from my back. Then after ab 15 min I did the other half. And my elbow is still aching from vacuuming yesterday. And there is a little voice in my head whispering, “Faker. Hypochondriac. Lazy. Fat. If you exercised more… You don’t really have a disease; you look perfectly fine!!” 
TaraLynn said: I woke up this morning and my left wrist is acting up…The joint pain moves around from joint to joint, however my hips and back have been aching continuously for months now. It seems to be the pattern of the disease, I am wondering if the right treatment will help…or is this just the way of life with PSA?
I say this all the time to my husband who is so amazing. He always asks hopefully if my newest medicine is helping. I feel guilty if it really isn’t… Or if my feet are swollen. I am starting to wonder if the best I can hope for is SOME relief? If so I better get up and start making the best of things- like for REAL!! I feel like I am in wait mode.
WOW TigerGirl you just described my pain. It is bad in my back and just started in the elbow this past summer. Glad to know that I am not the only one with those kinds of pain.
Ditto Ditto Ditto I am so happy to know someone else is experiencing exactly what I am. I am never pain free. One joint will be better and within a couple of days another will flare. It moves around so much I think the people around me think I am faking. Lower back, and upper neck take turns hurting. Both shoulders, but the left one is the worst. In years past I had problems with my knees, but since all this started happening they have been pretty good. My biggest problem to date is my hands and feet which makes moving around very uncomfortable. Today was shopping day and I MEGA shop for an RV park with bulk items. When the cart/buggy is half full my hands hurt so bad I have problems controlling the cart. I have developed a technic of guiding with my wrists and pushing direction with my foot. My left foot usually gives out about half way through the shopping trip. Carrying shopping bags.....ouchie! I think I am going to have to get some cloth bags I can carry on my arms/wrists. Any ideas?
It feels great to know I have some warriors out their who “get” it and even make me believe in my own pain. Pretty sad when we doubt ourselves. The moving around of pain is bizarre and it I hard for even me to understand so it’s no wonder my parents don’t understand. In the last few days I feel as though my Humira is starting to work. I am finally able to get up with ease and my feet are not swelling as much. It will be an answer to a prayer if it’s true!
Good news TigerGirl! I hope you continue to have success with the Humira!
TigerGirl said:
It feels great to know I have some warriors out their who "get" it and even make me believe in my own pain. Pretty sad when we doubt ourselves. The moving around of pain is bizarre and it I hard for even me to understand so it's no wonder my parents don't understand. In the last few days I feel as though my Humira is starting to work. I am finally able to get up with ease and my feet are not swelling as much. It will be an answer to a prayer if it's true!