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Juvenile Arthritis Center - Fort Pierce, FL

Fort Pierce Pediatric Rheumatologist Doctors for Juvenile Arthritis

Type of Physician: Pediatric Rheumatologist

What is a Pediatric Rheumatologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Pediatrics; practitioners treat the infant, child, or adolescent with rheumatic disease (causing painful disability in the muscles, tendons, bones, joints or nerves). He or she also participates in the prevention, understanding, and treatment of the various rheumatic disorders and also promotes understanding of the basic mechanisms of the disease in the interrelated areas of immunology, genetics, inflammation, and infectious diseases.

Specialty: Pediatric Rheumatology

Common Name:

Pediatric Rheumatologist Doctors in Fort Pierce *

Sandra M Lawrence MD
Sandra M Lawrence
1625 SE 3rd Ave
STE STE 703
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 355-4360

Rafael F Rivas-Chacon MD
Rafael F Rivas-Chacon
1150 N 35th Ave
Hollywood, FL 33021
(305) 663-8505

Fort Pierce, Florida

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Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Arthritis in childhood? Isn't that only an old person's disease?

Most laypeople and many doctors fail to appreciate that arthritis in children exists. For the children affected and their families, education about the condition is essential. Many children suffer for months or years before the diagnosis of arthritis is thought of and proper treatment begun. But the problem doesn't end there. Children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that children can develop arthritis. They have no idea what to expect from the child with arthritis or about the nature of the illness. As a result, when the child is finally diagnosed with arthritis, the family may be told just to put them in a wheelchair because "nothing can be done." This is entirely wrong!

How common is arthritis in children?

Arthritis affects approximately one child in every 1,000 in a given year. Fortunately, most of these cases are mild. However, approximately one child in every 10,000 will have more severe arthritis that doesn't just go away. Many children have what is called an acute inflammatory arthritis following a viral or bacterial infection. This arthritis is often quite severe for a brief period but usually disappears within a few weeks or months. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common type of arthritis that persists for months or years at a time. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is also now called juvenile arthritis or juvenile arthritis of unknown cause (juvenile idiopathic arthritis).

What are the signs, symptoms, and treatment of the different forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis?

There are three main forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which are classified by how they begin. These forms are pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and syste...

Recommended Reading Related to Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Kawasaki Disease »

Kawasaki's disease facts

  • Kawasaki's disease is a syndrome of unknown cause that mainly strikes young children.
  • Signs of the disease include fever and redness of the eyes, hands, feet, mouth, and tongue.
  • The disease can be treated with high doses of aspirin (salicylic acid) and gammaglobulin.
  • Kawasaki's disease usually resolves on its own within a month or two.
  • Some children with Kawasaki's disease suffer damage to the coronary arteries.

What is Kawasaki's disease, and how is it diagnosed?

Kawasaki's disease is an uncommon illness in children that is characterized by high fever of at least five days' duration together with at least four of the following five findings:

  1. Inflammation with reddening of the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis) without pus
  2. Redness or swelling of the hands or feet, or generalized skin peeli...

Emergency Contact for Fort Pierce

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Fort Pierce Hospitals *

Lawnwood Pavilion
1860 N Lawnwood Cir
Fort Pierce, FL 34950
(772)466-1500

Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute
1700 S 23rd St
Fort Pierce, FL 34950
(772)461-4000

New Horizon's of the Treasure Coast
4500 W Midway Rd
Fort Pierce, FL 34981
(772)468-5600

Port St Lucie Hospital
2550 SE Walton Rd
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952
(772)335-0400

St Lucie Medical Center
1800 SE Tiffany Ave
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952
(772)335-4000

Indian River Medical Center
1000 36th St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772)567-4311

HEALTHSOUTH Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital
1600 37th St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772)778-2100

Martin Memorial Medical Center
200 SE Hospital Ave
Stuart, FL 34994
(772)287-5200

Martin Memorial Hospital South
2100 SE Salerno Rd
Stuart, FL 34997
(772)223-2300

Sebastian River Medical Center
13695 US Hwy 1
Sebastian, FL 32958
(772)589-3186

Raulerson Hospital
1796 Hwy 441 N
Okeechobee, FL 34972
(863)763-2151

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