|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Reasons for Joint & Ankle Pain in Children

A joint is a part of the body that connects two bones and allows the bones to move. When a joint pain occurs it often feels worse when the person tries to move the bones connected by the joint. In adults, joint pain should not be taken too lightly but the joint pains could simply be from aging. Joint pains in children are a lot more serious because they should not have much wear and tear on their joints yet. Joint pains in children usually means something serious.

  1. Joint Injury

    • Children are careless and reckless at times. Children will fall down and bounce back up and continue to have fun. Joint pains in children could simply be the result of an injury that neither the child or the parent noticed at the time. Consult a doctor to see if your child has suffered an injury.

    Celiac Disease

    • Celiac disease is a condition that could lead to joint pains. In the small intestine, there exists the villi. The villi's function is to absorb the nutrients that the body needs. When somebody has celiac disease, the villi will not absorb minerals, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins that the body needs. If the body is not getting all the nutrients it needs, then there are many complications including joint pains.

    Lyme Disease

    • Lyme disease is an infectious disease that is caused by a tick bite. Early symptoms of Lyme disease include headaches, chills, fever, fatigue, muscle pains and a stiff neck. Joint pains are one of the later symptoms but not every victim will have signs of all symptoms. It is possible for somebody to not show any of the early symptoms and skip to the later symptoms like joint pain. The best way to diagnose Lyme disease is to look for a rash. Lyme disease will leave a red rash where the tick bite occurred for up to 30 days.

    Rheumatic Fever

    • Rheumatic fever occurs when somebody has strep throat and it goes untreated for too long. Strep throat is an infectious disease so if untreated, other parts of the body can become infected. One of the areas that can be infected is the heart. If the heart is infected, then some symptoms of rheumatic fever include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, joint pains or swollen joints. Rheumatic fever is something to keep in mind for joint pains in children because rheumatic fever is most often found in those age 5 to 15 years.

    Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

    • Arthritis is usually thought of as a condition that affects adults, but 5 to 10 percent of children have a form of arthritis called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is typically found in children younger than 16 years old. Some symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis include swollen and painful joints, stiffness, limited range of motion and uneven arm or leg growth.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles