The Best CAM Therapies for Teens With JA 

Even when you take your medicine, you might still have pain and other arthritis symptoms. That’s why a lot of teens with juvenile arthritis (JA) try complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies. CAM therapies are things like supplements, special foods, acupuncture and yoga that your doctor doesn’t prescribe. But they might help you feel better, especially when you are waiting for a new medicine to kick in. 

Before You Try a CAM Therapy 

If you think you want to try CAM therapies, there are a few things you should know. First, you should use them along with, not instead of, your prescribed meds, says Austin Dalrymple, DO, a pediatric rheumatologist and assistant professor of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. While CAM therapies might help your symptoms, they won’t control your disease, he says. So, if you stop taking your medicine, your arthritis could get worse. Second, you should talk with your doctor about any CAM therapy you want to try. Some therapies you see online and other places can be useless or dangerous. Your doctor will tell you how to use CAM therapies safely and effectively.  

Although medications must be tested for effectiveness and safety, CAM therapies are not always well tested – particularly for JA. Many CAM therapies for arthritis are only tested in adults with other types of arthritis, so it’s hard to know how they may affect you. 

CAM Therapies Worth Trying 

Some complementary therapies are known to be helpful and others are certainly worth giving a try. Here are some top choices from doctors who treat JA.  

Exercise. Exercise is one of the best things you can do to feel better both physically and mentally. If you pick a sport or activity you like, exercise can also be fun. But Dr. Dalrymple says kids and teens with JA should ask their doctor before participating in high-impact sports like tackle football, hockey or karate. 

Blueberries. That’s right! Those yummy berries contain substances that fight inflammation. Research shows they may even help prevent or reduce medication side effects. 

Yoga. This ancient Indian practice combines stretching poses with mindfulness meditation, which means you calmly bring your attention to your breath and the present moment, rather than getting swept away in your thoughts.. Yoga has been shown to improve symptoms in adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Dalrymple believes yoga is also helpful for kids and teens with JA, but if you have hypermobility – joints that extend farther than they should – you might want to try something different. 

Massage. Massaging sore joints and muscles not only feels nice, but also just 15 minutes of massage daily can relieve stress, pain and morning stiffness, one study showed. If you would like to try massage, your physical therapist can teach your parents how to do it. Better yet, ask your physical therapist to teach you self-massage. 

Water therapy. You know how good it feels to relax in a warm tub. Soaking in warm water can soothe stiff joints in the morning and help you relax and get comfortable at bedtime. Warm water can also loosen up joints before exercise. Why not try doing gentle exercises right in the tub? 

Acupuncture. Getting stuck with a bunch of needles may sound painful, but acupuncture – a treatment that uses many small needles – can actually relieve pain for many. This old Chinese practice is based on the principle that life energy called qi (pronounced “chee”) flows through the body along invisible pathways. Any blockage of the energy flow causes pain or illness and using needles to stimulate points along the paths is thought to correct the flow of qi and relieve pain. If you’d like to give acupuncture a try but are scared of needles, don’t worry – the acupuncture needles are very thin and relatively painless, unlike the needles used to give shots or take blood. 

Turmeric. Studies have shown that this yellow-colored spice works to relieve inflammation much like some of the drugs your doctor prescribes. While those studies were done in adults, Dr. Dalrymple says some of his patients – all kids and teens – have reported good results. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of treatment from a counselor that helps you change unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving. This can help you focus less on your pain, improve your mood and feel better about your ability to live with and manage your disease.