When your child is diagnosed with a disorder involving the musculoskeletal system, you may come across medical terms you’re not familiar with. Some of the most common words you may hear include the following:

 

  • Arthritis – joint inflammation; an umbrella diagnosis for more than 100 related disorders.
  • Autoimmune disease – a condition that involves antibodies reacting against the body’s own systems and tissues.
  • Immune system – a collection of cells, chemical messengers and proteins that work together to protect the body from harmful micro-organisms, but can also lead to allergy and hypersensitivity problems.
  • Immunology – science that deals with the immune system.
  • Inflammation – swelling, pain, warmth and redness that result from an infection, injury or other irritation of any body part.
  • Musculoskeletal – involving the muscles and skeleton.
  • Uveitis – an inflammation of part of the eye called the uvea; sometimes seen in children who have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Vascular – involving the blood vessels.
  • Vasculitis – inflammation of the blood vessels.