A pediatrician yesterday urged parents not to dismiss symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) as sports injuries or growth pains, as delayed treatment of arthritis in children could lead to joint deformities.
“JIA is a type of chronic childhood arthritis most common among children under 16 years old. It often manifests as pain in the joint,” Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Department of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology director Yeh Kuo-wei (葉國偉) said
Yeh said he treated a 14-year-old girl surnamed Lin (林), who had used various remedies to ease her abnormal ankle and knee pain for more than six years.
“Lin had mistaken the pain for sports injuries. She tried therapeutic massage and many other ineffective treatments before she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis,” Yeh said.
Lin suffered severe knee pain that she described as like having been “smacked by a hammer” and was dependent a on wheelchair, Yeh said.
The girl only regained full mobility after she underwent treatment for arthritis that helped relieve joint pain and swelling, Yeh said.
“According to National Health Insurance statistics, an estimated 123 young people below 16 years old are diagnosed with JIA each year,” Yeh said.
“Approximately 59.5 percent of cases are described as pain in knee joints, followed by a combination of joint pains, such as ankles at 42.1 percent, wrists at 34.4 percent and fingers at 27.7 percent,” Yeh said.
He urged parents to take children who experience joint pain for longer than six weeks to a doctor for diagnosis to avoid potential joint deformation and mobility impairment.
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