July is National Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

JA affects children 16 years old and younger from all ethnic backgrounds and is usually considered to be an autoimmune disorder.  A healthy and balanced immune system fights off harmful bacteria and viruses, but in an autoimmune disorder, the immune system is not functioning correctly and attacks some of the body's healthy cells and tissues.  Scientists are still trying to figure out why this happens and what causes this disorder.  Some theorize that it's a two-step process in children and that something in a child's inherited genes makes the child more likely to get arthritis while a virus or another environmental trigger sets off the arthritis and children become symptomatic.

Just as it is for adults with this condition, JA is characterized by inflammation of the joints.  It causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of motion.  It most commonly affects the knees, hands and feet and tends to be worse in the morning, or after a nap.  Other symptoms can include eye inflammation, swelling in lymph nodes, high fever and skin rash, and excessive clumsiness.  It can also cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.  "Flare-ups" of this disease are typical; symptoms become much worse during the disease flare, but once that is over the symptoms tend to disappear, or the disease goes into "remission".

The Arthritis Foundation says that doctors who treat JA will try to make sure your child can remain physically active and will encourage your child to stay involved in social activities and have an overall good quality of life.  Pain will sometimes limit what children with JA can do, but exercise is considered to be crucial in reducing symptoms of arthritis and maintaining function and range of motion of the joints.  Rehabmart offers a very large variety of products specifically designed to encourage your child with JA to exercise and move their bodies, while also having a lot of fun!

The Giant Go 4 Goal is a great choice for younger children with JA.  This extra large game hoop is safely mounted in a water filled base on the floor and can be adjusted to different heights.  
                

The high level of success encourages your children to keep playing and to challenge themselves with different balls and heights.  This toy is perfect for increasing range of motion and for promoting total body movement, especially of the upper body.

Another fun exercise toy for toddlers is the Corner Climber with Slide .  You'll rest easy knowing that your child is playing on this soft and pliable furniture, too.  
                    

The four piece set includes a cushioned slide, platform, steps and a safety side wall where your child will improve their motor skills, range of movement and total body strength by crawling and climbing on this fun furniture that can fit into any corner of a room.

Riverstones will offer hours of enjoyment for your child with JA, too.  These brightly colored stepping stones mimic those in a river, with each side of the triangular "stone" varying in steepness and difficulty.  
                

The goal is to jump from stone to stone without touching the floor, but with a child's imagination, the variations on play with these stones is limitless.  Riverstones help to improve coordination and balance, while also promoting muscle strength.