Childhood Arthritis in Jacksonville and Serving Ponte Vedra Beach & Jacksonville Beach, FL
Arthritis, or inflammation of the joints, is typically a disease of older people, right? No, it’s actually becoming much more common in children under 18 years of age and also in young adults under age 30 years old. Why? Our bodies are inflamed. This could be from a food allergy such as gluten or dairy, or from a food sensitivity that is causing the body to attack its own joints, related to gut permeability. Most cases of arthritis in young people are related to autoimmune disease (the body mistakenly attacking itself), but can occasionally be due to infectious organisms such as bacteria, or viruses, or toxic exposures and injuries.
Additional testing over and above what is typically done to investigate arthritis in children is often overlooked. Here is where the root cause can be potentially revealed and that gives us a great chance for a cure or at least controlling the symptoms without harsh immuno- suppressive medications. Severe cases of arthritis may need immune suppressant medications to avoid further joint damage, but caught early, hopefully the joint damage can be minimized.
The symptoms of arthritis in young children and adults may include
- Swollen joints
- Red, painful joints
- Limping
We know that risk factors for arthritis include:
- Family history of arthritis
- Family history of autoimmune disease
- Being overweight
- SAD (Standard American Diet)
- Food Sensitivities (Gluten)
If you’ve never been to Happy Minds Healthy Bodies, you might be wondering what to expect during your first appointment. A trained provider at Happy Minds Healthy Bodies will ask a series of detailed symptoms to determine when the symptoms started, try to elicit any triggers, and determine what testing is necessary after a thorough physical exam. From that information, your provider will recommend a treatment plan to help improve your child or your arthritis symptoms.