JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis (JA) is a condition which strikes mainly the children and involves inflammation of the joints. It is a type of joint inflammation which affects the children under age of 16 and this disease lasts for about 3-6 months. In this disease, the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, thick and stiff instead of becoming thin and flexible and causes pain and discomfort.

TYPES OF JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

Juvenile arthritis has been classified as five types:-

Polyarticular JA –This disease occurs in about 40 percent of children and affects mainly hands and feet, knee and elbow.

Pauciarticular JA – It affects about 40 percent to 60 percent of the children. It occurs in the ankle, wrist, knee and elbow.

Psoriatic JA – It occurs in hips, fingers, toes and back.

Spondyloarthropathy – It occurs first in ankles and knees and later on in lower spine and hips.

Systemic onset JA – It affects about 10 to 20 percent of the children.

CAUSES OF JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

The main reason for the cause of this disease is the genetic factor. Another cause is the infectious agents like virus and bacteria which increase the chances of developing this disease. It is also caused by immune systemdisorder. All these are the cause for juvenile arthritis.

SYMPTOMS OF JUNEVILE ARTHRITIS

Pain, stiffness, swelling, redness and warmth in a joint

The bones around an infected joint grows quickly and slowly

Contracture relates to the shortening of muscle which is caused when the muscle is not used

DIAGNOSIS OF JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

Diagnosis is done on the basis of the person’s symptoms. Laboratory tests are also not helpful for diagnosing this disease as this test does not show any type of disease.

TREATMENT OF JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

The treatment is done to decrease the pain and inflammation in a joint by giving various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen and ibuprofen, steroid drugs can be given to the person by mouth and injection.

Some injections are also injected directly into the joint. Other drugs such as penicillamine, methotrexate etc can be used for treating juvenile arthritis. Physical therapy and exercises are done which improves muscle strength and joint mobility. Splints are helpful for preventing deformed joints.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT

There are also numbers of alternative treatments available for treating juvenile arthritis like:-

Juice therapy which includes the mixture of juices such as carrots, lemons, cucumbers etc

Massage with oils such as lavender, rosemary and camphor can also be done

Acupuncture and Acupressure are the Chinese therapies which are helpful in treating this disease.

Aromatherapy