Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month Highlights Children’s Experience with Arthritis

Affecting about 1 in 1,000 Canadians under the age of 16, juvenile arthritis is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases. Every March, The Arthritis Society uses Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month to heighten understanding of this disease and raise much-needed funds for arthritis research and services.

Life is different and harder for children with arthritis. They have daily struggles that other kids don’t have to face. Symptoms include excruciating pain and inflammation in the joints, which can make it difficult to get out of bed, go to school or play with friends. Depending on the severity of their arthritis, some children experience irregular growth or physical disability.

The course of juvenile arthritis is unpredictable. Most children with the disease face an up-and-down course for many years and must undergo a demanding treatment plan. Treating a child’s arthritis entails numerous medical appointments, which means school and recreational activities are missed.

To learn more about the symptoms of, and treatment options for, juvenile arthritis, click here to view The Arthritis Society’s You, Your Child and Arthritis booklet.

Members of the media can access all Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month media materials by clicking here.

The Arthritis Society and its partners, with the generous help of donors like you, is funding leading research in juvenile arthritis aimed at discovering a better understanding of its cause, but more needs to be done.

Please make a donation by clicking here.

This page was last reviewed/updated on : 02/23/2010