This page gives some useful resources: books and websites that can help you learn more about arthritis. It also gives tips on assessing the quality of information you might find on arthritis websites.
There are lots of resources that can allow you to better help your teenager learn to manage their JIA.
Books
Huegel, K. (2002). Young People and Chronic Illness: True Stories, Help and Hope. Monarch Books: Toronto.
Kaufman, M. (2005). Easy For You To Say: Q&A's for Teens Living With a Chronic Illness or Disability. Key Porter Books: Toronto
Kaufman, M., Odette, F. & Silverberg, C. (2003). Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For all of us who live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain and Illness. Cleis Press.
Krane, E. & Mitchell, D. (2005). Relieve Your Child’s Chronic Pain: A Doctor’s Program for Easing Headaches, Abdominal Pain, Fibromyalgia, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and More. Fireside.
Kuttner, L. (2006). A Child in Pain: How to Help, What to Do. Hartley & Marks Publishers.
McDonagh, J. & Patience White, P. (2008). Adolescent Rheumatology. Informa Healthcare: London.
McGrath, P.J., Finley, G.A., Ritchie, J. (1994). Pain, Pain Go Away: Helping Children with Pain Association for the Care of Children's Health.
Zeltzer, L. & Blackett Schlank, C. (2005). Conquering Your Child’s Chronic Pain: A Pediatrician’s Guide for Reclaiming a Normal Childhood. HarperResource.
Zeltzer, L. & Zeltzer, P. (2016). Pain in Children and Young Adults: The Journey Back to Normal: Two Pediatricians’ Mind-Body Guide for Parents.
The Arthritis Foundation. (2001). The Arthritis Foundation’s Tips for Good Living with Arthritis. Arthritis Foundation: Toronto.
Websites
Cassie + Friends: A Society for Children Affected by Juvenile Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Diseases
University of Washington School of Medicine
Federal Citizen Information Center (US)
Arthritis and Osteoporosis New South Wales: Kids and Arthritis
Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO)
Helpful tips for assessing the quality of information on the internet
When you are looking for information, the internet may be one of the first places you turn to. The internet is the top source of information for teenagers and many adults. There are many websites about JIA, however, the quality of information on these sites varies greatly. It is important that you and your teenager talk to your teenager’s doctor to help you understand the information you find on these sites. Here are some tips to help you determine if the site is of good quality. Remember SCREEN!
| S = Source | Is the sponsor of the site credible? Check out their credentials. One way to do this, though it’s not 100% accurate, is by looking at the domain. Is the site: government (.gov), educational (.edu), or nonprofit organizations (.org)? Is the site current? What is the last date it was updated? |
| C = Conflict of interest or bias | Is the site selling or promoting a product or service? |
| R = editorial Review process | Is there an editorial process or seal of approval? |
| E = Evidence-based | Are the claims based on scientific research and is there documentation? |
| E = Extreme claims | Does the site claim “miracles,” “amazing results,” or ”earthshaking breakthroughs?” Any claim that a treatment works for dozens of different problems, or has a 95% or 99% improvement rate, is likely to be misleading and driven by profit. |
| N = Not related | Is the information unrelated to or different from what you were told by your health-care provider? |