Juvenile Arthritis is a childhood disease that causes inflamed and swollen joints in children 6 months to 16 years old

Types of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis:

• Pauciarticular: most common and mildest type. The child may have pain in 1 to 4 joints

• Polyarticular: is more severe because it affects more joints and gets worse over time

• Systemic: is the least common, but can be the most serious causing pain in many joints and spreads to organs

Causes of JRA:

The causes are not exactly known; however, research shows that it is autoimmune disease, which the white blood cells are not able to tell the difference between the body’s own healthy cells and harmful invaders.

Signs and Symptoms:

• JRA appears between the ages of 6 month and 16 years

• Joint pain, swelling and stiffness, especially when waking in the morning

• Reddened or warm joints

• Limping, sore wrist, finger, or knee

• Stiffness in the neck, hips or other joints

• Rashes may appear

• High fevers

• May have swelling of other organs in the abdomen

Treatment:

• Medications

• Physical Therapy

• Exercises

When to visit a pediatric orthopedist?

If there is joint pain, swelling or stiffness that lasts for more than a few days, or loss or limitation of the function of a joint or limb you should visit a pediatric orthopedist