July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month. At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want to inform our Middlesex County families about this condition, manifesting in the joints of the feet and other parts of the body in young patients. Below are some facts about Juvenile Arthritis.

FACT: Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 16.

FACT: Arthritis—for both children and adults—is not just one disease. It is an umbrella term that covers over a hundred conditions that affect the joints.

FACT: In children, most kinds of JA are autoinflammatory or autoimmune diseases. It means the immune system gets mixed up and releases inflammatory chemicals that attack healthy cells and tissue rather than foreign elements like germs and viruses in the body.

FACT: While most types of JA do cause joint inflammation, some varieties do not show signs of pain or swelling in the joints but rather exhibit symptoms in the skin or internal organs.

FACT: Common symptoms of JA accompanying joint pain, stiffness, and discomfort, may include chronic eye inflammation; skin rashes; lung, heart, or digestive disorders; fatigue; loss of appetite; high, spiking fever.

FACT: The causes of JA are not precisely known. Researchers have found that genes may be a factor or it’s possible that the disease develops as the body’s response to a bacteria, virus, or other external factors. Exactly why it occurs is not known.

FACT: JA is a chronic condition. It can last for a few months, years, or an entire lifetime.

FACT: Treatment for JA has multiple goals: relieving pain and other symptoms, slowing or stopping the progression of the disease, preventing joint and organ damage, preserving mobility through adulthood.

FACT: There are many treatment options including medication, massage, mind-body therapies, and acupuncture. Healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise and nutritious eating habits can also aid in the management of JA.

FACT: If your child exhibits any signs of joint pain in their feet or ankles, you should make an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499 to get their symptoms evaluated promptly by our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas. The foot doctor will determine if your child’s discomfort is due to a podiatric problem or potentially arthritic.

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Call Today (860) 632-5499

162 West St Ste K Cromwell, CT 06416