When you hear the term “arthritis,” the first image that comes to mind might be a frail elderly person who has trouble opening up a jar of pickles or tying their shoes. It may surprise you, then, to hear that arthritis can also affect children and adolescents.

This is one of the main reasons that July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, which is intended to spread the word about arthritis that affects younger people. In honor of this campaign, we’d like to explain how children are affected by this condition and why physical therapy in Glenn Dale is one of the best ways to address it.

A child’s immune system isn’t fully formed until about age 18, and this is why they are vulnerable to juvenile arthritis. As an autoimmune disease, juvenile arthritis causes the body’s normal defense system to attack itself, which compromises a child’s ability to fight normal diseases and leaves them open to further complications. Nearly 300,000 children have been diagnosed with some form of juvenile arthritis, many of which are disabled and incapable of functioning normally as a result of their condition.

Juvenile arthritis is actually an umbrella term that’s used to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that can develop in young children. It can appear in children as young as six months old and as late as 18 years old, and though each type of juvenile arthritis has its own unique features, the key symptoms are joint pain, swelling, redness, and warmth that doesn’t go away over time.

Some forms of juvenile arthritis affect the musculoskeletal system, but oddly, joint symptoms may be minor or nonexistent. It can also affect the eyes, skin, muscles and even gastrointestinal tract. The most common form is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis, often referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This type of juvenile arthritis affects about 50,000 children in the U.S. and is the result of the immune system mistakenly attacking the body’s tissues, which causes inflammation and symptoms. When children show signs of juvenile arthritis, some parents assume the swollen joints and fever may just be the flu, or that a rash is from an allergic reaction. It’s for this reason that parents should be vigilant and know the possible indications of juvenile arthritis when these symptoms continue longer than expected.

How physical therapy in Glenn Dale can manage juvenile arthritis

There is currently no cure for juvenile arthritis, so the condition is instead managed by helping patients control their pain, reduce inflammation, and maintain mobility. Many children with juvenile arthritis lose muscle mass and flexibility during a flare-up, which is a period in which symptoms get significantly worse. These patients are often unable to regain these losses in between flare-ups, and their physical abilities tend to gradually decline over time as a result. It’s for this reason that physical therapy in Glenn Dale is often recommended as one of the best solutions for these patients since it aims to improve joint flexibility, muscle strength, and overall fitness levels. A typical treatment program for children with juvenile arthritis will consist of the following:

• Stretching exercises to help patients regain flexibility that has been lost
• Strengthening exercises to build back strength deficits, particularly high-repetition, low-weight resistance exercises that target weak muscles
• Education and guidance on how to stay physically active and what types of activities are best
• Pain-relieving modalities like ultrasound, ice, and heat therapy
• In some cases, a physical therapist will also recommend an assistive device like a splint to help keep joints properly aligned and stretch them

Juvenile arthritis is a bothersome condition for younger patients that must be acknowledged and managed accordingly, and we strongly believe that physical therapy in Glenn Dale is the best way to accomplish this. If your child is displaying symptoms that might suggest juvenile arthritis, we recommend that you come in for an evaluation to determine if the condition is in fact present. Contact CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services at 301-464-7390 to schedule an appointment at any of our four clinics in Glenn Dale/Bowie, Hyattsville, Laurel, or Silver Spring, MD, or click here for more information on juvenile arthritis.