Neural mechanisms underlying the pain of juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Pain is the most common and distressing symptom of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and can persist despite good disease controlEffective pain management in patients with JIA will benefit from an understanding of the special features of pain processing in the juvenile nervous systemPersistent pain is maintained by functional changes in the peripheral and central nervous systems, which depend upon age at onsetAnimal models show that exposure to injury, pain and stress in early life 'primes' the pain system, such that adult tissue injury and inflammation is more painfulEffective age-appropriate treatment of JIA pain is therefore probably of lifelong benefit