Juvenile Arthritis - The Most Common Childhood Disease

Arthritis is a debilitating disease that has no age boundaries. In the United States, almost 300,000 children are affected by arthritis and other rheumatological conditions. The most prevalent is juvenile arthritis (JA).


Juvenile arthritis is one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States. It affects girls more frequently than boys. Symptoms of juvenile arthritis vary, but the most common include joint pain and swelling, as well as joint stiffness. The most commonly affected joints are those of the knees, wrists, ankles, hips, neck, shoulders and jaw. Over time, the condition leads to joint contractures, which result from holding a painful joint in a flexed position for an extended period, and damage to the cartilage and bone within joints, resulting in joint deformity an decreased range of motion. The end effect is a severely impaired quality of life.

There are different types of juvenile arthritis, and management depends on the form of the condition. The primary goal of treatment is to decrease inflammation responsible for swelling, decrease pain, and prevent joint damage to preserve function. Since JA may cause eye inflammation (uveitis), eye exams are an important part of management of patients with this condition. Treatment for children usually includes anti-inflammatory medications, physical activity, physical and/or occupational therapy, education, eye care, and proper nutrition.

Patience White, MD, who is the chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation has been interviewed about the impact of arthritis in children. Dr. White works at the national office of the Arthritis Foundation, she also is a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In this interview, Dr. White explains why JA is a serious condition and talks about a new program aimed at improving the quality of life for people with arthritis.