If you are unfamiliar with this condition, juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common and reoccurring type of arthritis found in children under the age of 16. Abbreviated as JIA, this condition causes the joints to become stiff and painful and causes difficulties with walking. While less common, this condition is treatable and can even be grown out of once they receive treatment. JIA replaces the term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and this condition is constantly being researched by medical scientists to find better treatment alternatives and ways of curing this condition. Today, we’re here to explore this condition in greater detail and give you the latest ways we can currently treat it.

What We Know Currently About Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a collection of arthritis conditions that commonly affect children between the ages of 6 to 18, and beyond affecting the knee, elbow, and other joints in the body, these collections of conditions can also affect the eyes, skin, heart, lungs, and intestines, causing inflammation and swelling. JIA affects about 1 in 1,000 children, or about 300,000 children in the United States each year. Each form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is associated with specific symptoms and affects certain areas of the body, including:

All of these types of JIA can be treated, but currently, the cause is unknown. Orthopedists can treat these conditions through various methods, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, corticosteroid medicines, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. When you visit your orthopedist, your orthopedist will be the best way to help you find and manage your child’s treatment plan and help them manage or recover from this condition. Keeping your children active and healthy is the best way to prevent long-term arthritis damage and improve their outcomes as they reach adulthood.