What is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)?

What is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)?
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA), also known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and Juvenile Chronic Arthritis (JCA), is the most common form of arthritis found in children. Sometimes occurring as early as infancy, JRA most commonly presents itself during the early childhood and teenage years. It can cause discomfort and damage to the joints, muscles, and to the other soft tissues around the joints. Some of the problems commonly associated with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis include stiffening and inflammation of the joints, disruptions in joint growth, contractures of the joints, and weakness and pain in the muscles and soft tissues.

Approximately 30,000 to 50,000 children in the United States are affected by Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. (Arthritis Foundation) It may be a mild condition that causes the child diagnosed with it few problems beyond mild stiffness or discomfort, it may be debilitating in its severity, or anywhere in between. The exact symptoms a child with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis will experience will be specific to that child.

There are three forms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pauciarticular JRA, Polyarticular JRA, and Systemic Onset JRA, each of which manifests itself in the body in different ways. Pauciarticular JRA affects 1-4 joints of the body, Polyarticular JRA affects five or more joints, and Systemic Onset JRA affects one or more joint, but also causes inflammation of the internal organs of the body as well.

Diagnosing Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
It is not known what causes Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and depending on the form of JRA a child has, it can be a difficult condition to diagnose. It often takes several tests to determine whether a child has JRA, and if so, what form.

As with most conditions, the logical place to start when a child is suspected of having Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is with the medical and family history, and with a physical examination, to determine if there are any current or previous illnesses, or inherited conditions that could be causing the child's problems. Some laboratory and radiological testing will also most likely be performed to rule out other problems, like infections, or even a bone or joint fracture that could otherwise explain the child's symptoms.

Once JRA is suspected, there are some blood tests that can be performed to look for inflammation, to detect antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor or sometimes HLA-B27. (Arthritis Foundation) In some cases, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is diagnosed by a process of eliminating other possible causes for the child's symptoms.

Treating Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
The treatments for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis may vary depending on the symptoms and level of pain experienced by the child.

Some medications, like aspirin, anti-rheumatic drugs or steroid hormones may be prescribed to treat some of the symptoms of JRA. A healthy diet and regular exercise are usually encouraged in order to help the child to maintain optimum strength and maximize joint and muscle motion and flexibility, as are proper sleeping patterns.

Occasionally surgery may be required to address some of the structural and muscular problems caused by Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Because the best treatment options for JRA will differ from patient to patient, it is important that any child diagnosed with the disease be seen by a rheumatologist as soon as possible. The rheumatologist will help to determine the best course of treatment, recommend any other specialists that the child may need to see for problems associated with his or her JRA, and monitor the progression of the disease.