Approximately 294,000 children under the age of 18 are affected by pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions. These alarming statistics lead to Juvenile Arthritis being one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.
These children suffer from symptoms including pain, swelling, tenderness and stiffness in joints which leads to a limited range of motion. Additionally, children have joint contracture because they hold a painful joint in a flexed position for an extended period of time. They can damage joint cartilage which can lead to joint deformity or impaired use of the joint and there is a potential for altered growth of bones and joints leading to short stature.
When these signs or symptoms begin to develop in children, sometimes parents aren't sure what is happening. They know their child is in pain, but they don't know what is causing it or why it is happening. This is scary for parents!
So, I am writing today to build awareness! I support the Arthritis Foundation and their "Kids Get Arthritis Too" program and hope you will take time to learn about it, too. You never know when arthritis can hit your family. Learn about it and take steps to make sure we have support for kids who do get this painful disease and take action to have educated physicians in our states and strong programs for kids to still have a positive quality of life.
There is no known cause for arthritis, so we must take action to fund research and assist with programs to support healthy lifestyles for individuals with this disease.
Learn more about this program by visiting: http://www.arthritistoday.org/kgat/index.php
All facts from this blog taken from www.arthritis.org
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