Teenagers get arthritis too; it's not just the elderly, says charity
MOST people think of arthritis as a disease that just affects the elderly. In fact 14,500 children and young people in the UK are afflicted by the often crippling condition, and around half of them will continue to suffer throughout their lives.
As well as the physical symptoms of swollen, painful and damaged joints – which sometimes require major replacement surgery – teenagers face psychological problems too.
Sticking to rigorous medication, undergoing regular physiotherapy and wearing cumbersome splints are the last things style-conscious youngsters want to think about when all their friends are going out enjoying themselves, and often they rebel against the restraints their arthritis places them under.
Medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign is highlighting the particular problems faced by young people during its Education Week focusing on Arthritis and Adolescence (January 4-10).
The charity is drawing attention to two major issues. The first is the need for more specialist clinics in the UK which can deal with teenage patients' complex medical, social and emotional needs.
The second is the discrimination faced by youngsters with arthritis when they try to find work. Although they gain as many academic qualifications as able-bodied teenagers, their unemployment rate is up to three times higher.
Dr Helen Foster, a paediatric rheumatologist who runs a young adult clinic in Newcastle for the over 16s, and has just set up a teens clinic for the over 13s, believes teenagers can benefit enormously from dedicated clinics which are more geared up their particular needs.
They encourage more self-responsibility, and the development of confidence and assertiveness, and allow the doctor to explore the adolescent's feelings and concerns, separate from their parents. Patient education and involvement in decision-making have been identified as two of the most important ways of significantly enhancing young people's quality of life, leading to reduced pain and depression, according to recent studies.
"It can be really hard for an adolescent to cope with having arthritis; it's worse than in a child," said Dr Foster. "They see all their friends going out and partying, and they are having to take medication, wear splints and rely on their parents for getting around; it's hard for them to be independent and do all the usual things that teenagers do. They are desperate not to be different."
A study of youngsters with arthritis in London found that the unemployment rate among patients aged 16 and over was three times higher than the national rate. A similar study in Newcastle revealed unemployment to be twice as common in teenagers with arthritis, than others.
"Our research has shown that adolescents with arthritis get negative careers advice," said Dr Foster "They should be given more positive encouragement. I want to stress that they can have a normal life, and they should aspire to a career like everyone else."
Apart from generalised, widespread discrimination towards the disabled, Dr Foster believes patients' own low expectations of their achievements – and possibly those of their parents - was a strong factor. "Youngsters with arthritis need positive, high achieving role models, and careers advice needs to be much better and given earlier than it is currently," she added.
More research to explain the discrepancy between employment figures and levels of educational achievement was also needed.
The severity of juvenile chronic arthritis varies from pain and stiffness in one or two joints, to the whole body being affected, and lasting damage to joints.
It is controllable through medication and physiotherapy, but can often lead to stunted growth (because of the use of steroids), osteoporosis, and psychological problems. Depression and social isolation can also be serious factors.
More than half of youngsters will continue to experience problems with arthritis into adulthood, although better treatment and medication have improved their quality of life.
