Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Other Treatment
Physical and occupational therapy are vital to the successful management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Maintaining good joint function and range of motion and being able to do daily tasks help a child with JIA develop normally.
Other Treatment Choices
Physical and occupational therapy
The purpose of physiotherapy is to decrease pain and allow your child to resume or continue normal activities. Occupational therapy works to help a child live as independently as possible.
- Physical conditioning may include aerobic exercise, range-of-motion exercises, and strength and stretching exercises.
- Splinting at night will help keep the wrist, hand, knee, and/or ankle joints straight, which may prevent pain, morning stiffness, and contractures. Working splints can help support a joint and relieve pain when writing or doing other hand tasks.
- Serial casting of the knees, ankles, wrists, fingers, and/or elbows is a temporary straightening and casting of the affected joint. The cast is then removed, the child goes through some physiotherapy, and a new cast is applied with the joint stretched a bit more.
- Shoe lifts or inserts help to equalize leg lengths for children in whom one leg develops at a different rate than the other.
Nutrition
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods so that your child gets the nutrients he or she needs for growth and development. Good nutrition will also help fight the effects of JIA. Important nutrients include protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Your child can eat all types of food as long as his or her weekly intake is balanced and varied.
- As part of a healthy diet for a child with JIA, your child's doctor may recommend vitamin D and calcium. These nutrients can help control bone loss that is often linked with inactivity and with corticosteroid treatment.
Some nutrients are thought to help reduce inflammation, so they may help decrease some symptoms of JIA.
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help reduce inflammation in the body. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
- Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil have been shown to mildly reduce inflammation in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and may have the same effect in children with JIA. The best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are cold-water fish and flaxseed oil.12
Pain management
- Breathing and relaxation techniques to relieve chronic pain include distraction, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditative breathing exercises.
- Heat, cold, or water therapy may reduce muscle spasms around joints, which can cause significant pain and movement problems.
- Stretching and strengthening exercises can help a child maintain strength and a normal range of motion.
Complementary medicine therapies for pain management
- Massage is used to promote relaxation, relieve pain, and restore normal joint movement.
- Guided imagery may be used to promote relaxation and manage pain.
- Acupuncture is mildly effective in relieving pain in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and may help relieve pain in children with JIA.
What To Think About
Physiotherapy is a vital component of the successful management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. If possible (depending on age), help your child to understand the importance of physiotherapy exercises and to keep an upbeat attitude about twice-or-more daily stretching and strengthening sessions. Working closely with a pediatric physiotherapist can be especially helpful.
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: August 30, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Ross E. Petty, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Pediatric Rheumatology | |
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