Millions of people around the globe suffered from joint pains. Joint pains affect about 1 in 5 adults. However, it is a different story when it comes to children suffers from joint pains. Statistics showed that about 300,000 children under the age of 18 years are affected by joint pains, of which 50,000 children are victims of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA. While joint pain is a common problem with the children, most of the time this is usually not of serious causes. In severe cases, it can be anything from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease or rheumatoid fever.
There are many causes and it is vital that you get an accurate diagnosis of the real source of your symptoms in order to receive appropriate treatment.
Through the children’s growing up years, they will experience pains in the joints from time to time as they undergo physical bodily changes. They grow taller, putting on more weights as well as engage in strenuous physical activities. The physical skeletal changes in the children normally result in pains around the joints, some may not experience the pain at all. Some children may develop fever as a result of the natural joint growth in their body. This pain in the joint usually subsides over the week or two.
Children are relatively more active and physically involved in their daily activities. They are more prone to injury but at the same time also a higher pain threshold to endure these injuries without immediate medication. It may be just a knock or fall, but these are usual joint pains occurring time and again. The children will be able to overcome this joint pain once the injury is healed.
However, if the pain is persistent, lasted longer than usual and occurs now and then accompanied with swelling, rashes, stiffness in joints causing immobility, it is vital that the root cause of these symptoms be identified. And that proper treatment can be applied.
The 2 common joint problems in children are listed below;
Fractures
Being young and physically active, this is a common joint problem observed in children. The broken bones would have entirely limits the mobility with severe pain in the injured part imminent. Fractures require immediate treatment. The treatment usually employed plaster and splints, internal and external fixation.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is one of the most commonly seen type of joint pain in children. It is said to affect 1 out of every 1,000 children under the age group of 16. Symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis are rather similar to that of the adult’s arthritis; joint pain and stiffness, swelling and restriction on mobility. Common Nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are good to address JRA.