my son has sever joint and bone pains/all arthiritis test are normal..he is only 12 yrs old?

Question

all my son't arthritic testing has come back negative...he wakes up every morning struggling to get up or even move..his hands elbows, back, feet, everywhere just hurts so bad...what else can it be...

Answer 1

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis presents in various ways and may be quite difficult to diagnose. Lab tests can be suggestive of JRA but none are entirely conclusive. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis is a very long list ranging from acute rheumatic fever (not likely in you son's case), to lupus, to Lyme disease, to ankylosing spondylitis, to leukemia and other malignancies, to a host of other diseases. Check out this site: www.arthritis.co.za/jra

Keep in close communication with your son's physicians. Have you been referred to a pediatric rheumatologist? It is very difficult to remain patient while your son is in pain. Unfortunately, even modern medicine has its limits, and this is one area where it is limited.

Answer 2

There is many things that this could be from a pinched nerve to scoliosis.

A lot of tests must be performed to rule out each thing that it could be. It could be a imbalance in his hormones or mis-fires of the brain.

Watch him when he sleeps sometimes as well. See if he constantly moves or sleeps in awkward positions that could cause joint pain.

Either way more tests would have to be performed to track down the exact cause.

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Also that I sit back here and think about it. It could just be growing pains. He is at the age where the body is going through puberty and growing kind of hurts which takes place mainly while you are sleeping.

Answer 3

Poor little fella. I went through the same thing. Never did find out what it was, of course this was 30 years ago. This test, that test, painful blood samples. I finally grew out of it.

Ask his doc to keep searching, by now there's got to be a solution. In the meantime, a hot bath might help to alleviate his pain. If doc doesn't have any solutions, ask your local television media if they know of a doc that knows what this is.

For his hands and feet, try a wax bath. I use one now to help with my cold hands and feet in the winter time.

Answer 4

I agree with the other answers thus far for your question, but if it hasn't been going on too long or ends shortly after it starts, could be something as simple as growing pains.