Does this look like PsA to you?

[Caroline]

Thank you for the replies.  I had a telehealth visit with my gastroenterologist on Monday morning, and he was asking if I had arthritis.  I showed my hand to the laptop camera, and he thought the swollen knuckles on middle finger and thumb looked like it might be psoriatic arthritis, saying his mother had it.  

My grandmother had swollen knuckles.  I've thought I was inheriting my grandmother's hands.  IF this was psoriatic arthritis, then perhaps this is hereditary and not necessarily drug induced.  Degenerative disc disease, whatever that means, has been noted on CT scans I've had for other issues.  

Just musing, I guess.  But it may have some consideration when choosing a different medicine for both Crohn's and Psoriasis, if I'm going to switch away from Humira and Methotrexate.

Maybe your middle finger is a bit thicker..

But…
Does it hurt?
Does it hurt when bending it?
Do you have a lack of power in it? E.g. grabbing a heavy pot with your hands.
If you keep on bending it, so I mean, bend - unbend - bend - unbend, does this reduce pain?

That things would point to Psoriatic Arthritis.

My pointing finger has been twice as thick as normal, could hardly do anything with it.

There is a way to find out if it really is Psoriatic Arthritis, but only if your fingers are really thick and swollen. The swelling, if it happens, is because of an inflammation fluid. They can do a puncture and get some fluid out. If you put that fluid under a microscope you can check if there are pyruvatic crystals in it. That is the real proof of Psoriatic Arthritis.