This article discusses the principles of rehabilitation of the most common childhood rheumatic diseases, especially juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, and scleroderma. Any rehabilitation program must be undertaken in conjunction with understanding of disease processes, appropriate medical management, and patient and family education. Investing effort into avoiding contractures, weakness, osteoporosis, and disability is considerably less time-consuming, painful, and costly than trying to reverse established problems.
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