Juvenile Arthritis and Alternative Treatment
Growing older is associated with more aches and more pains.
Doing things we used to take for granted, such as exercising or working in the yard, take a higher toll on us, and it takes us much longer to recover. This is an expected part of growing older, but hundreds of thousands of children also feel this often debilitating pain.
What starts as discomfort or minor irritation can become severe pain. For some, juvenile arthritis can be debilitating.
Juvenile arthritis causes joints to become inflamed, which limits their range of motion. It is an autoimmune disease which can affect the rate of growth in children because it strikes just when young bodies are growing. The effects can be minor or severe, depending on the child and the type of juvenile arthritis from which they suffer.
It is common for children with juvenile arthritis to experience stiffness in their joints in the morning.
If a child experiences this and other symptoms of juvenile arthritis that do not abate after six weeks, and there is no other medical cause for the pain or discomfort, then juvenile arthritis is often diagnosed. This disease is not diagnosed by a single test but must be made when other conditions have been ruled out.
Most often, a pediatric rheumatologist will be the one to finalize the diagnosis, as they specialize in arthritis in children.
It is vital to a child for their parents and care givers to understand their disease in order to have realistic physical expectations of them. This joint pain and inflammation is very real and can be very painful.
Within the category of juvenile arthritis, there are three subsets from which children may suffer. If a child suffers from inflammation and pain in four joints or less, then they have pauciarticular juvenile arthritis. Those who have five or more joints affected have polyarticular juvenile arthritis. Some children have one or more joints and internal organs which are inflamed. This is known as systemic onset juvenile arthritis.
The goal of juvenile arthritis treatment is to relieve pain and treat symptoms. First, inflammation must be controlled. It is also important to try to minimize joint damage and to retain mobility.
Exercising to keep the joints from tensing and becoming inflamed will be an element of a child’s therapy.
Exercise can be used in conjunction with relaxation techniques characteristic of yoga and meditation to help ease the stress within the joints. Splints can also be used during hours of sleep to prevent morning stiffness.
It is important to consult with specialists in juvenile arthritis, particularly if the child’s condition is severe.
Pediatric rheumatologists and primary care physicians are important members of the health team. Any and all signs of inflammation should be checked because juvenile arthritis can affect bodily functions.
Depression can also be a factor for children with juvenile arthritis. Often, they are not able to participate in the same activities as their peers, which can cause feelings of low self-worth or low self-esteem.
It is vital to understand the child’s feelings and maximize their potential by highlighting their abilities rather than their limitations.
Stress is detrimental to health and serves no purpose in the treatment of juvenile arthritis. Therefore be sure to reassure the child in a way the causes them the least amount of stress.