Juvenile arthritis hard to diagnose

About 25 children in Northumberland may have juvenile arthritis.

Barbara Rimmer, a physiotherapist at the Arthritis Society in Peterborough, said that if the statistics hold true - that the ailment affects one child out of 250 - then several children in the area are suffering from a disease that many have never heard of.

"It's not as if it's rare," said Mrs. Rimmer, whose office covers Northumberland County, Haliburton County, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and Peterborough County.

Juvenile arthritis is a continuous inflammation of the joints that attacks children under the age of 16. It is not caused by any other illness or accident.

"We think that arthritis comes with a seniors pension," Mrs. Rimmer said.

But juvenile arthritis is more common than people may think. And very destructive.

It can slow a child's growth, interfere with organs, cause eye problems and severe pain. But not every child with juvenile arthritis will suffer these effects, or require as much treatment as others.

Mrs. Rimmer remembers a young girl in Peterborough who missed 50 to 60 days of school a year but was still able to get into university. This was after she suffered from cataracts, and had to use a wheelchair and have her ankle fused.

"Many grow out of the disease," Mrs. Rimmer added. But some do not. Mrs. Rimmer also said that the disease is hard to diagnose because many would believe their child is just suffering from sore joints.

The treatment for juvenile arthritis is usually physiotherapy and injected medication.

"Our job is to reduce the damage of the disease," Mrs. Rimmer said. "With medication and therapy, the disease is manageable."

 By Shelby Parker

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