Treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
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Loading ...Children love to run about, it’s lovely to watch a child they don’t have a care in the world and they can do anything. It’s horrible when a child is unable to do everything they love because they suffer from a crippling disease such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).
The main objective of any juvenile arthritis treatment for children is to try to help them lead as normal a life as possible. Childhood is a precious time, nobody would want to miss it. The problem with this JRA in children is that it will often affect the well being of the child, and so emotional aspects will also have to be considered in any treatments.
Unless your child suffers from severe systematic JRA then encourage them to be as active as possible, they should not rest. Swimming is an ideal sport for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis because it gets your child active and it does not put any pressure on the joints. Make sure that your child knows to stop when he or she is in pain, don’t let anybody tell them ‘no pain, no gain’ because in this case it’s certainly not true. Make sure all the teachers are aware of this condition so they don’t force the child to participate.
Make sure that your child is eating healthily; some people suffer a reduced appetite with JRA.
Medical treatment exists for JRA, its aim is to slow down, or completely stop if possible any inflammation to relieve the sufferer of any of the symptoms. If juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is caught early then the treatment is often the most effective, damage to joints can be prevented, and the child should be able to lose less time doing the things that they love.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the first line of defence, these work by reducing inflammation and pain in the affected joints. Aspirin is one such example, however this is rarely used as some side effects can be serious, Cox-2 inhibitors are a fairly new breed of drug, these are now the favourite choice.
Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs is not just one type of drug; there are many drugs that fall into this category. These drugs are designed to work by stopping the autoimmune response, trying to stop the body attacking itself in other words. These drugs can impair the immune system, and it might have trouble fighting off other infections.
Steroids can also be considered, but they should only be used in very severe cases. Steroids do not solve any problems, just conceal them.
Treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis should not be limited to medical treatment, physiotherapy, heat and cold treatments and hydrotherapy should also be considered.
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