Natural Treatments for Juvenile Arthritis Symptoms

Juvenile arthritis (JA) affects nearly 300,000 children and teens in the US. Because medications often don’t quickly alleviate the symptoms of this painful condition, many parents turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to find relief for their child.

The Arthritis Foundation, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, estimates that close to 75% of US parents seek alternative treatments. Many health professionals believe complementary therapies are worth trying for symptom relief but warn that parents should be aware they aren’t cures for the disease.

Exercise is among the most popular CAM treatment for JA, and several studies have shown that it is both safe and beneficial. A 2013 Swedish study published in Pediatric Rheumatology found that exercising three times a week for 12 weeks with free weights, core exercise, and jumping rope improved the physical and mental health of children with JA without increasing pain scores.

While there is limited recent research on the benefits of massage therapy, a 2008 study involving 57 pediatric patients with chronic pain found that distress, pain, tension, and mood improved significantly. Another study, out of the University of Miami School of Medicine, found that daily massage for a month decreased anxiety, pain, and stiffness in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients.

Acupuncture is found to be generally safe for children, although trials of its use for musculoskeletal pain in children have not been conclusive. Monica Friedman, chief of pediatric rheumatology at Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, Florida, says she has seen positive results in her practice.

While there is little published research on yoga for JA, a 2013 study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain found that young women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who followed a six-week Iyengar yoga program had improvements in quality of life, mood, and pain reduction.

Certain foods and supplements have shown promise in symptom relief. For those with a gluten intolerance, eliminating it from the diet will help, says Dr. Friedman. A 2015 study in Japan involving 201 children showed improvement in inflammatory cytokine levels and other symptoms after drinking 1 ½ oz. of blueberry juice daily along with their prescribed treatment of etanercept.

Turmeric, which studies have shown has anti-inflammatory properties, has shown benefits in some patients, according to Austin Dalrymple, DO, pediatric rheumatologist and professor of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Parents should remember, says Dr. Dalrymple, that CAM treatments, while worth trying in consultation with their child’s doctor, should not be used as a replacement for prescribed medicines.