It may begin with a swollen knuckle, a spiking fever, or an unexplainable rash. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that is characterized by swelling, heat, and pain .
Arthritis can be short-term or chronic.
In rare cases, it can last a lifetime. Juvenile arthritis , or JA , is the term used for all the types of arthritis that affect children. Although we often associate this disorder with the elderly, many forms of arthritis afflict more than 285,000 children in the United States. The most prevalent form of juvenile arthritis is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis , or JRA , affecting approximately 75,000 children in the United States. Read the article below to learn about the symptoms, signs, and treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children.