Joint Pain at Any Age: Children’s Arthritis

People like to worry that children seem to be growing up faster and faster. Normally people prefer think of childhood as an idyllic, carefree time with lots of playing and sports. Aches and pains and worries are supposed to be for later in life. Sometimes, however, issues people associate with adults can still affect children, like arthritis. Arthritis in children damages your son or daughter’s joints and limits his or her mobility and independence.

While there are a few types of arthritis that affect children, by far the most common is juvenile arthritis, also called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This condition is an autoimmune disease that causes your son or daughter’s immune system to attack the lining in his or her joints. The lining becomes inflamed and the joint swells, so using that limb becomes highly uncomfortable.

As a result, your child may complain about aches and pains in particular joints and even limp when he or she tries to walk. The skin around the affected area may appear reddened. Sometimes children struggle with fatigue and develop fevers from the condition as well. Usually, those are signs the aches your child is complaining about are more than just growing pains and need real treatment.

Like other autoimmune diseases, no one is entirely sure why arthritis in children develops or what triggers it in the first place. Unfortunately, this means you can’t prevent it. You can, however, help you child by treating the problem. Treating it will actually be quite important to relieve pain and maintain joint function. Aggressive treatment can also help prevent the problem from getting worse.

When your son or daughter’s lower limbs are affected, experts like our team at Family Foot & Ankle Care of Jasper can help both control the disease’s progress and alleviate discomfort. Don’t ignore the signs of juvenile arthritis and allow the condition to worsen. Help your child live with healthy, stable feet. Contact our Jasper, IN, office today for more information or to schedule a consultation as soon as possible. You can use our online forms or call us directly at (812) 481-7200.