Arthritis is something you think you will get once you grow old, and not something you think your child will get. What a lot of people don’t know is that kids get arthritis, too.

Juvenile arthritis is an inflammation of the synovium for children aged 16 years and below. Specialists think that this disease is caused by genetics, infections, or environmental factors.

Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis is considered an autoimmune disorder, and its first signs are usually subtle. It can be something as simple as excessive clumsiness, or a joint pain in the morning that never goes away. Joints may become painful, stiff, and tender. They may even lose some of their mobility. There may even be limping involved, as well as fatigue and loss of appetite.

At this point, it is best to have the child evaluated by a San Diego pediatric orthopedic doctor to rule out conditions that have similar symptoms as juvenile arthritis. An early and accurate diagnosis is important in order to help your child manage the disease.

Treating arthritis at its early stage is important because your child is still growing. If untreated, the disease can affect your child’s growth plates and can interfere with your child’s growth and bone development.

Treatments for Juvenile Arthritis

After a diagnosis has been established, it is best to work closely with a San Diego orthopedic doctor to get the best possible outcome. Having a specialist and a team of health providers will ensure that your child will remain physically active and will maintain an overall good quality of life that was previously enjoyed even before the diagnosis.

Your doctor will recommend a combination of treatments such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy, and exercise. When arthritis symptoms flare up, corticosteroids such as prednisone may be injected directly to the child’s joints.

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