Your children's achy joints may not be growing pains

We tend to think about arthritis as something that affects old people. I know. I wake up just about every morning attributing my achy joints to my advanced years. But, the fact of the matter is that children can and do get arthritis so it’s important to learn the warning signs.

The Arthritis Foundation says, “Young children often are sidelined by illness or fatigue — the flu-like bug picked up from playmates at daycare, or the sore arm caused by a tumble on the playground. When symptoms like pain, stiffness or fevers occur at odd times, without obvious cause, could this mean juvenile arthritis (JA)? How can you tell the difference?

“Traditionally, a child complaining of occasional achy joints was dismissed as having ‘growing pains,’ a vague phenomenon believed to be the result of the natural growth process.

Now, we know that symptoms of joint pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue or illness may be early signals of a serious, inflammatory rheumatic disease that requires immediate medical treatment.”

The Centers for Disease Control describes JA as any form of arthritis or an arthritis-related condition that develops in children or teenagers who are under 18 years old. They estimate that 294,000 children have been diagnosed accounting for approximately 837,000 doctor visits each year and 83,000 trips to the emergency department.

A day of strenuous activity will tire out the joints and muscles of all children. You will want to consult with your pediatrician if your child complains about pain when he or she wakes up. One might say that his knees hands or feet hurt. Another might tell you that her neck or jaw is painful. The pain may lessen as the day goes on.

Stiffness is another symptom of JA. Your child may hold his or her arm or leg in the same position or limp when walking. Again, it may be worse when he or she first wakes up either in the morning or from a nap.

Redness or swelling around a joint is an obvious sign of inflammation. He might complain that

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the joint feels hot or you might notice that it feels warm to the touch.

This can come and go or persist for several days. Without having had a fall or injury, this is a strong sign that your child has JA.

Other symptoms include a fever that comes on suddenly, often at the same time of day and then disappears after a short while and is accompanied by malaise or fatigue; a faint pink rash that doesn’t itch; weight loss, and persistent eye redness, pain or blurred vision.

“Most forms of juvenile arthritis are autoimmune disorders, which means that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks some of its own healthy cells and tissues,” states the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

“Doctors do not know why the immune system attacks healthy tissues in children who develop juvenile arthritis. Scientists suspect that it is a two-step process. First, something in a child’s genetic makeup gives him or her a tendency to develop juvenile arthritis; then an environmental factor, such as a virus, triggers the development of the disease.”

Some recent research claims that JA is more accurately described as an autoinflammatory condition, but regardless of what it’s called, the primary treatment will be a series of medications and physical therapy.

For parents, having a child with JA can be challenging and there are several forums and chat rooms that address the subject. A woman on www.community.arthritis.org’s website wrote, “It’s very hard to accept that our child has a chronic disease. I had visions of my daughter in a wheelchair and other awful things. However, JA is not what it used to be. There are many medications…and it’s important to start early and aggressively.”

n Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Committee. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.