The Truth is Powerful
Patient Blogs | Psoriatic Arthritis We live in an era of specialization in the medical profession, so patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and co-occurring conditions will require a number of different doctors.
Dermatologist (Skin)
I live in an urban area in California, so I have had the good fortune to have a choice of talented dermatologists (“derms”) over the years. Early on, my treatments were medicated shampoos, topical treatments, and phototherapy , which were limited to what was available and considered effective at the time. Occasionally, a treatment seemed bizarre but turned out to work. At one time, I was referred to a derm who would inject small doses of cortisone directly into my psoriatic lesions. I felt like a pin cushion, but it worked.
My most unusual experience involved a derm that I liked personally, but his knowledge of psoriasis was limited. On many visits, he would assemble his derm colleagues in the examination room and I would share with them the latest treatments available for psoriasis (based on what I learned at National Foundation board meetings). I have found that derms who are affiliated with an academic medical center are the most knowledgeable and up to date on […]