Here is a gold mine of expert advice that is invaluable both for parents whose children have rheumatic disorders and for parents of children with complaints, discomfort, or disability who are not getting the answers they need from their physician. Using simple analogies and illustrative anecdotes to illuminate hard-to-grasp concepts, Dr. Lehman helps parents interpret their child's complaints and to determine whether medical attention is needed. Even more important, the book explains to parents how to follow through with a physician and make sure their child receives the appropriate tests, the proper diagnosis, and ultimately, the best care possible.

In the United States alone, roughly 300,000 children suffer from some form of arthritis or rheumatic disease, and millions more are at risk of developing one of these diseases. In this marvelously down-to-earth guide, Thomas Lehman--the head of one of the leading pediatric rheumatology programs in the world--offers a gold mine of expert advice invaluable for pediatricians who want to become more proficient in understanding, diagnosing, and treating rheumatic disease in children. Dr. Lehman helps pediatricians interpret their patients' complaints and determine whether and what type of medical attention is needed, explaining what symptoms to look for, what questions to ask, what tests to run, and what to expect when treatment begins. Using illustrative anecdotes, this book sheds light on a wide range of rheumatic disorders--including juvenile arthritis, Lyme disease, lupus, Kawasaki disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome--and it addresses such crucial topics as drug safety, genetic considerations, the potential risks to children posed by medications, the difficulty of family life when a child has a chronic disease, and much more. A Clinician's Guide to Rheumatic Diseases in Children captures the expertise of a dedicated physician with over thirty years of hands-on experience helping children lead normal, happy lives. It will help pediatricians make sure that patients achieve the best possible outcome.

Parenting a child with a chronic illness is not simply a full-time job; it’s an all-time job. Quite unlike most other jobs in life, your first day as the parent of a child with juvenile arthritis usually begins with little or no training, no orientation, and no helpful coworkers or encouraging boss to lead you through the ropes. You’ll be required to gain confidence and comfort in this job, day by day, through your own research and discoveries, your intuition, your inner strength, and your enduring love for your child. Living with Juvenile Arthritis: A Parent’s Guide provides support to parents and caregivers of children with juvenile arthritis through helpful tips and guidance from a parent who has successfully navigated the challenges of raising two children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Allow author Kimberly Poston Miller to help you and your family find your path. Learn more about arthritis, its symptoms, diagnosis scenarios, treatment options, managing pain, and handling flare-ups. Discover strategies for dealing with the unpredictability and individuality of your child’s condition. Build a support team of health-care professionals, cultivate healthy relationships within your family, and focus on what’s most important—raising a happy, well-adjusted child.

Parents practical guidance on raising children with juvenile arthritis, juvenile lupus or other rheumatic diseases.

Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology examines the full spectrum of rheumatologic diseases and non-rheumatologic musculoskeletal disorders in children and adolescents, detailing the presentation, differential diagnosis, course, management, and prognosis of every major condition. Drs. James T. Cassidy, Ross E. Petty, Ronald M. Laxer, and Carol B. Lindsley discuss recent developments in diagnosis, treatment, genetics, immunology, imaging, and more. Diagnose and treat effectively through exhaustive reviews of the complex symptoms and signs and lab abnormalities that characterize these clinical disorders. Choose treatment protocols based on the best scientific evidence available today. Apply the knowledge and experience of the leading experts in the field. Keep current with coverage of new topics including macrophage activation syndrome, pediatric sarcoidosis, uveitis, imaging, and occupational and physical therapy. Tap into detailed discussions of recent advances in the field, new research on the immunologic mechanisms of inflammatory disease, and new developments on biologic treatments for arthritis in ten new chapters. Master complex concepts and key techniques with a full-color design and full-color illustrations.

Arthritis is usually considered a disease of older adults, but nearly 300,000 children in the United States suffer from some form of arthritis or rheumatic disease, such as juvenile arthritis (JRA), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or Kawasaki disease. Yet until now very little information has been available to guide parents and doctors in properly diagnosing such children. Here is a readable, reliable guide to the common causes of bone, joint, muscle, and arthritis pain in children, designed to help parents and physicians understand these disorders, arrive at the proper diagnosis, and choose the most effective treatment. In this comprehensive resource, Dr. Thomas Lehman--the head of one of the most prestigious pediatric rheumatology programs in the world--offers easy-to-understand information on the causes, symptoms, tests, and treatments for a wide variety of rheumatic diseases and childhood pain. Dr. Lehman writes with great clarity, providing numerous case examples that illustrate the topic at hand and offering practical, down-to-earth advice. Equally important, he answers the questions that parents are most likely to ask: What should they observe in their children? What questions should they ask their doctor? Which tests are necessary? What risk factors should they be aware of? And how can they help their children cope with the social and psychological aspects of their illness. The book summarizes diagnostic tests, discusses the most effective medications, and discusses physical therapy, alternative therapy, and surgical options that are available. Clearly written, thorough, authoritative, and up-to-date, It's Not Just Growing Pains is the definitive resource available on the subject for parents and health care professionals, helping them to understand the children's pain and find the best available care.

'This volume comes at an important time in the development of the discipline, and reflects the knowledge gained by the authors through decades of hands-on experience of treating children and adolescents with the entire spectrum of rheumatic diseases. It emphasizes the integration of the expertise of all health care providers in an interactive team' - Ross Petty in the Foreword. This highly practical handbook is easy to read and refer to on a daily basis. The wide-ranging style encourages a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to provide continuity of care, and the handy binding and layout is designed to aid quick access of core information. Featuring over 230 full-colour images and reproducible resources for patients and carers, this guide is a vital resource for Allied Health Professionals, especially those working with children.