Many believe arthritis is a condition that affects the older generation, that you have to be in your later years to experience the effects of swollen and painful joints.
But there is a type of arthritis that can strike well before a person celebrates their 16th birthday.
Junior idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is inflammation that causes pain, stiffness and restricted movement in joints. Its cause is unknown.
There are many types of JIA each bringing with it different symptoms, such as Oligoarticular JIA, the most common kind which starts at the age of two or three, usually affects the knee and can cause inflammation of the eye.
Polyarticular JIA affects more joints, particularly in the hands, feet, hips, knees and neck and leaves children feeling unwell, while psoriatic arthritis is associated with the skin disease psoriasis and affects the finer and toe joints.
In total there are seven recognised types of JIA and the type your child is diagnosed with will determine how their condition is treated.
Arthritis affects approximately one in 1,000 children, many of whom overcome the condition as they get older. But a third of children affected by JIA go on to have problems in adult life.
It is thought that genetic factors coupled with environmental factors cause the problems, but JIA is not directly inherited.
There is no real test for the condition, although blood tests, X-rays and MRI scans or ultrasounds can help diagnosis.
In some cases the lining of the heart becomes inflamed, so chest X-rays or echocardiograms can highlight the problem.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of JIA, but sufferers will experience painful, swollen and stiff joints and possibly fever, weight loss and a loss of appetite.
Drugs are used to control the pain and inflammation, with steroids used in more severe cases. If these do not have the desired effect, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs which alter the immune system may be prescribed.
Physiotherapy is vital in the treatment of JIAs as it keeps the joints moving and builds muscle strength.
Most children with JIA recover with very few long-term issues, but damage to joints caused by the condition can cause difficulties for sufferers in later life.
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