What to Know About the Link Between Multiple Sclerosis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Key takeaways

• Both MS and PsA are autoimmune conditions resulting from immune system dysregulation, are not contagious, and share genetic and environmental risk factors.
• Key links that may explain the connection between MS and PsA include an overactive immune system, shared genetic risk factors, and environmental factors like being overweight, tobacco use, and vitamin D deficiency.
• While there is no cure for either MS or PsA, treatment options, including medications and lifestyle changes, can help manage symptoms, slow disease progression, and improve overall quality of life.

There are almost 100 different autoimmune diseases, affecting an estimated 3–5%Trusted Source of the population.

MS and PsA both stem from immune system dysregulation. They’re also chronic, progressive, and have some shared risk factors.

Although the connection between MS and PsA isn’t as clear as with other autoimmune conditions, they can still occur together. If you live with one, you may have an increased chance of developing the other.

Overview of MS

MS is an autoimmune disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue called myelin. This is the substance that forms the protective sheath covering your nerve fibers.

Damage to the myelin coat around your nerves interrupts nerve impulses between your brain, spinal cord, and the rest of your body. This causes MS symptoms such as:

• bowel and bladder problems
• cognitive changes
• difficulty walking
• dizziness
• fatigue
• emotional changes
• muscle weakness
• numbness and tingling
• spasticity
• vision problems

The nerves themselves may also develop irreversible damage.

Statistics suggest that almost 1 million people in the United States live with MS. Globally, that number is estimated to be about 2.8 million people.

Overview of PsA

PsA is a chronic, inflammatory type of arthritis that can accompany the skin condition psoriasis (PsO).

Psoriatic conditions are autoimmune diseases that occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks your healthy tissues. In the case of PsA, that tissue is your joints. For PsO, it’s the skin.

Usually, PsO skin symptoms occur first before PsA manifests in your joints. However, it’s also possible for arthritic symptoms to occur before a skin rash. On rare occasions, people with PsA never develop skin symptoms.

About 1 in 4 people with PsO develop PsA, so many people with psoriasis never experience joint issues.

If you live with severe PsO, you have a higher chance of developing PsA.

Similarities and differences

PsA and MS have characteristics in common.

They both:

• are autoimmune conditions
• are not contagious
• have genetic and environmental risk factors
• are chronic (long lasting) and inflammatory
• have no cure
• have a range of symptom severity that varies from person to person
• can be progressive and worsen over time
• have symptoms that come and go (flares and remissions)

There are also several differences:

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