SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Phil Mickelson said Tuesday that he is being treated for psoriatic arthritis, a condition in which the body's immune system attacks healthy cells and tissue, causing inflammation and pain in the joints and tendons, according to mayoclinic.com.
Mickelson said he is taking medication for the disease and expects a full recovery. He said he feels about "90 percent" this week at Whistling Straits, where he is competing for the season's final major at the PGA Championship.
"Things have been looking great, and long term there shouldn't be any issues," Mickelson said. "It's very treatable, and the medicine I've been taking is very helpful."
The first symptoms of the disease appeared five days before the U.S. Open., he said.
"I woke up with intense pain in areas of my body — some joints and tendons — so much so that I couldn't walk," Mickelson said. "And it progressively got worse, and ultimately I had to figure something was wrong and had to go get it checked."
Mickelson said the arthritis did not affect his play at the U.S. Open, where he finished fourth. However, the condition worsened when he took his family to Hawaii the week after the U.S. Open.
"Every joint in my body started to hurt to where I couldn't move; I would just lay down and I couldn't roll over," Mickelson said. "And I was concerned about being able to swing a golf club."
After an initial diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, Mickelson competed in the Scottish Open and the British Open in July, missing the cut at the Scottish Open and finishing 48th at the British Open. He said he treated his condition with anti-inflammatory medication while in Europe. After the British Open, Mickelson visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he spent two days and started his current treatment, which is a shot of Enbrel once a week to prevent his immune system from affecting his joints.