The best outcomes are achieved by long-term management under the care of a paediatric rheumatology multidisciplinary team who will provide a personalised treatment plan.
Medication
Several medication treatments exist that aim to relieve symptoms , prevent long-term damage to the bones and joints and improve mobility.
The most commonly prescribed medications are:
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS)
Biological agents
Anti-inflammatory medications
Corticosteroids
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
Improving and maintaining joint mobility is a key factor in managing JIA. This might involve specific exercises to do regularly at home or using splints or supports made specifically for each patient to assist movement and reduce pain.
Physical activity is beneficial to general wellbeing and has marked effects on mental health. Sport and exercise like swimming or bike riding that don’t place excessive stress on joints are best.
The rheumatology team’s aim is for your child to get back to what they like to do best. Don’t forget to talk to your specialist if you are involved in competitive sport at school.
Orthopaedic surgery
With improvements in treatment, fewer children require orthopaedic surgery, but in some cases where severe contracture or tightness of soft tissues has occurred, surgery may be recommended to increase the range of movement.
Where joints have suffered permanent damage or destruction from advancing disease, hip or knee replacement may be an option. If this is necessary, this usually occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood once the main growth spurts have occurred.
If you are using the internet to search for information about you child’s disease, in addition to the excellent Australian resources listed, we recommend information provided by Paediatric Rheumatology InterNational Trials Organisation (PRINTO)
PRINTO is an international public network of academic and/or clinical centres engaged in the research and clinical care of children with paediatric rheumatic diseases. They collect a lot of information world-wide and so the information they provide is reliable and up-to-date.