You may think that arthritis is a disease for old people, or at least adults, but unfortunately this is not the case. In Canada, last month was Juvenile Arthritis Month, raising awareness for the joint wellness-crippling condition that affects thousands of children every year.
When children go to school, they need tools and backpacks to help them manage daily life and so the Arthritis Society will be providing backpacks to children aged 10 and under who have been newly diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This is based on a successful programme already being run by the Arthritis Foundation in the United States, and building on a similar programme the Arthritis Society has run in the Atlantic provinces.
Recommended guidelines of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation have been used to select the backpack, the choice of which has been reviewed by a registered physiotherapist and an occupational therapist from the Arthritis Society Arthritis Rehabilitation and Education Programme (AREP). JIA can take its toll on a child’s wellbeing, and pose serious daily challenges, and so the Arthritis Society wants to hand back childhood, and let kids with arthritis enjoy being kids.
A few lifestyle changes and coping strategies can mean all the difference to your child’s life being just as full and fulfilling as one who’s not affected by JIA, and the backpack is just one example of this. School is a huge part of childhood, and the backpack, which makes going to school easier and more comfortable, can make the whole schooling experience a happier and healthier one for your child.
So what is it about this backpack that is so beneficial to children with JIA? The broad straps, back padding and waist support that the backpack features minimises the strain on your child’s vulnerable joints. With the assistance of a registered physiotherapist, a special video has also been produced to help instruct parents of children with JIA about how to select, fit, pack and safely wear their backpack. A digital copy of the video will be provided in each backpack, and it will also be available on the society’s YouTube channel. The backpack will also contain a plush bear with a removable warming and cooling pack, a book to help children come to terms with chronic pain, and pencil grips for making different writing tools more comfortable to use.
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