Ask the doctor: When arthritis hits the young...

A child with arthritis may be in pain, and they would not be moving the painful joint (Photo: Shutterstock)

My child was diagnosed with arthritis. I always thought it was a disease for the old...

Well, children do get arthritis, but on its own it is not a diagnosis. If I tell you that your blood levels are low, I should be able to tell you why, like when the bone marrow is not working properly. It is the same with arthritis in children, it is a symptom of a disease, and the spectrum is vast. It could be a sign of cancer or HIV for example. It is our task as rheumatologists to find out what the underlying disease is.