The Facts
Over the time I have had arthritis I have done research to find out more about it, I’m always finding out new things. This blog tonight is for people who don’t know much about it. A lot of this information I can relate to because I live with it every day.
What is Juvenile Arthritis?
Juvenile arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe arthritis in children. The diagnosis is considered if the disease begins before the 16th birthday and lasts at least 6 weeks.
The disease is extremely diverse in its features. Many of the children are affected in only one or a few joints, commonly referred to as monoarthritis or oligoarthritis, and often as an acute event. Some may have arthritis in multiple joints, or polyarthritis, which tends to become chronic. Many children are also affected in areas other than joints—eyes, skin and other body tissues. In some cases, the symptoms may alter over the course of the disease.
Juvenile Vs. Adult Arthritis
Juvenile arthritis is not a mini-version of adult arthritis. To better understand juvenile arthritis it is important to view it in the context of arthritis over the lifetime. Arthritis is marked by inflammation of the joints, causing pain, stiffness and damage to the joint cartilage and surrounding areas.
The damage to a joint and its surrounding structures can lead to joint weakness, instability and visible deformities. Depending on the joint involved, arthritis can interfere with many tasks of daily living, such as dressing, walking and climbing stairs, etc.
In adults, arthritis is generally considered to be a disease of the elderly. This is largely because the development of its major form is due to the destruction of cartilage. In fact, the symptoms of most forms of adult arthritis develop over a much shorter duration, manifesting across all age ranges. A characteristic feature of arthritis is its extreme diversity. More than 150 forms of the disease are known. Both acute and chronic phases exist, with a tendency to become life long. Females have the disease more commonly than males.
Like the adult forms of arthritis, the main symptoms of juvenile arthritis are pain, swelling and stiffness.
The Experience
Arthritis can have a significant impact on the daily life of a child. Pain, stiffness, limited joint motion and endurance arrive early. In early phases of the disease, the illness limits participation in certain activities only. However, with time the impact may turn into a severe or profound disability.
Pain
Pain is a key expression of arthritis. It generally tends to be mild to moderate but causes much discomfort and limits many types of activities. Children usually describe the pain of arthritis as hurting, stinging, warm and uncomfortable. The experience varies greatly from joint to joint, not only daily, even hourly. The source of pain in juvenile arthritis is mostly inflammatory in nature.
Physical Limitations
Children with arthritis often have physical limitations. In addition to joint erosions, long periods of active arthritis may impair muscle development. Inability to move freely and difficulty in gripping are some of the common outcomes. Gait deviations, including decreased velocity, cadence, and step and stride length, may also result. Due to lack of physical activity, children with arthritis may become quite unfit.
Arthritis also puts children out of their daily routine. Children with arthritis are more likely to have days of reduced activity, including being away from school. The varying degrees of pain and stiffness can affect a child’s mobility, strength and endurance. For example, children may find it difficult to sit on the floor or hold pencils, crayons or paintbrushes, or may have a problem carrying books.
Social Isolation
Children with juvenile arthritis can become socially isolated or experience social difficulties because they are less likely to be able to participate in a variety of physical activities including play and sports. Alteration in physical appearance such as swollen joints may also attract negative reactions from other children, preventing the affected child from participation in peer group activities.
School Performance
Having juvenile arthritis has a large impact within the school society. Particular limitations can make going to school or participating in school activities difficult. With many types of arthritis levels of severity and length of flare-ups vary, meaning there may be days where the child has off, causing them to fall behind and further making school difficult. On days they do attend school they may be tired from a deprivation of sleep due to pain keeping them up at night, or feeling unwell because of the medications they are taking.
General Treatment
The first line of management for juvenile arthritis is drug treatment, which plays a major role. The aim is to control inflammation and relieve pain. Most children with juvenile arthritis will require medication at one time or other during the course of their illness. Along with medications children will be recommended to do a physiotherapy or hydrotherapy routine to strengthen muscles and keep joints flexible.
