Do you remember hearing the older generation complain about aches and pains in their body and then mention the weather forecast? They would simply refer to knee pain or achy joints as incoming rain and then like clockwork; it would rain. I would say to myself granny predicts the weather better than the meteorologist on the local news.
Most of our elders say they were dealing with arthritis issues but you wouldn’t think that children would also encounter similar health conditions. When you hear your child complaining about neck, back, and knee issues, in most cases you would believe they’ve encountered some type of injury from playing outdoors with friends but not onset arthritis.
Arthritis in children sounds unbelievable, right? Well, actually Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most common arthritis in kids and this condition causes joint pain and inflammation within the body.
READ: Is Your Child Dealing With Joint Pain? Here’s How you Can Help
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JIA affects the hands, knees, wrists, elbows, ankles and other areas. Did you know that 60% of children with JIA have oligoarthritis and are mostly girls? And 10% of children with JIA have systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) which affects boys and girls equally.
Studies also show, according to the Arthritis Foundation, that 25% of children develop uveitis, a form of inflammation of the eye within four years after the diagnosis of this disease.
When a child develops JIA within the body, the immune system attempts to fight off the bad germs but instead, it attacks the body’s tissues and cells.
Inflammation chemicals immediately start to attack the tissue lining around the joint and form fluid that provides a cushion to help the joints move smoothly. If this happens, your child’s joints may look red or swollen and they may complain that it hurts to move.
