What is juvenile arthritis?

Also known as: oligoarticular arthritis, polyarticular arthritis, systemic arthritis.

Arthritis is a common medical condition that involves swelling, irritation and pain in the joints of the body. When this impacts children, it’s known as juvenile arthritis. Juvenile arthritis impacts almost 250,000 children under the age of 16.


What causes juvenile arthritis?

Juvenile arthritis can be caused by a variety of conditions, ranging from genetic mutations that are present at birth to the body’s immune system attacking itself in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, the cause of juvenile arthritis isn’t known.


What are the symptoms of juvenile arthritis?

Pain, stiffness, joints that are warm to the touch and are swollen, weakness, growth problems, eye problems and a child who is less willing to play than others are common symptoms related to juvenile arthritis.


What are juvenile arthritis care options?

A combination of medications, physical therapy and special exercises are typically used to treat children with juvenile arthritis. The strength of the medications can range from over-the-counter pain relievers to more serious disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. In rare cases, surgery may be needed to correct problems related to juvenile arthritis.


Reviewed by: Michael A Tidwell, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM

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