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Juvenile arthritis steals the ability to move hands, feet and body easily and without pain. Juvenile arthritis can also steal a childhood that becomes racked with pain instead of the joy of learning and growing physically strong. Many activities are contraindicated for a young person with arthritis. There are, however, many leisure activities in which youths with arthritis can participate that are not only enjoyable, but also beneficial.
Juvenile arthritis affects children between the ages of six months and 16 years. Though it is not always a life-threatening situation, it causes pain and discomfort, hampering the child's daily life. It can most often be treated with medication and physical therapy, while a few rare cases may also require surgery.
The teen years can be difficult enough without having to cope with a chronic illness. Yet juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, known as JRA, affects 300,000 young people under the age of 18. At its best, JRA causes occasional and inconvenient aches and stiffness usually reserved for adults. At it worse, juvenile arthritis is a life-changing and crippling disease. Parents of teens with JRA need coping skills to help the entire family.
