A relatively common condition in adults and seniors is becoming more and more prevalent amongst children and adolescents.
Juvenile arthritis is an inflammation in the joints that appears in individuals under the age of 16 and affects roughly one in 1,000 youth across the country.
“Most children who are diagnosed with juvenile arthritis don’t grow out of it, so once they are diagnosed, they will have it for the rest of their life,” said Miranda Jimmy, northern region manager for The Arthritis Society in Alberta.
Early detection of the disease is key to prevent further damage to the body, which can include a breakdown of cartilage, chronic inflammation and damage to surrounding muscles and tissues.
The progression of the disease differs for every patient. Jimmy said some can keep their arthritis in check with physical activity, while some need medication and others are affected more severely and don’t respond to medications.
Juvenile arthritis can have a lasting affect on the child’s life, making it difficult to perform daily tasks.
“If you think about when you use the joints in your body, it’s things from getting out of bed in the morning, brushing your teeth, holding a coffee cup, holding a spoon to eat cereal, getting dressed, buttoning a shirt — all of those things can be affected,” she said.
All joints are susceptible, from the jaw all the way down to the toes.
Symptoms of the disease include prolonged pain and stiffness in the joints, often lasting more than three weeks and often occurring after rest.
“Everyone gets aches and pains, but if it lasts for a long time, something’s wrong,” Jimmy said.
A trip to the family doctor may be able to diagnose the disease, although she said children often need to see a pediatric rheumatologist — only one of these specialists currently operates in northern Alberta.
If a parent suspects their child is affected by the disease, Jimmy said it is essential they see a specialist in order catch the disease before it progresses.
Although there is no cure for juvenile arthritis and the children affected will likely suffer with it into adulthood, several treatment options are available to alleviate pain.
One of the most important preventative steps and treatment options is to stay physically active.
“Exercise is really important, so physical activity and keeping the joints moving is really key,” Jimmy said. “Motion is lotion. Our bodies have a natural lubricant that’s released, but it’s only when the joints are moving.”
She said this is easier said than done, as the natural response to injury is to protect the damaged area by not moving it.
This could do more harm than good, since immobility can lead to further degeneration of the muscles and tissues, she said.
The prevalence of juvenile arthritis has remained fairly constant over the years, while other forms of arthritis are increasing dramatically, especially in younger demographics.
Jimmy said she expects the general rate of occurrence to increase from one in six people to one in five in 2013.
More information on juvenile arthritis and other forms of the disease can be found at www.arthritis.ca.
