Polymayalgia Rheumatica

What is it?

Muscle stiffness and pain in large muscles in shoulder, necks and hips and not feet.

It’s more common in people over 70 and starts occurring on persons older than 45 years

Diagnosis Tests

Please click for ‘Physiotutors’ diagnosis tests.
Please follow the following link to help to diagnose this condition 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria.
Blood tests, specifically:
- The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- C-reactive protein (CRP) level
- Rheumatoid factor
- Complete blood cell count
- Liver function tests
- Renal function tests
Ultrasonography and MRI
Imaging of condition is the use of 2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-glucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) PET combined with low-dose CT ([¹⁸F]FDG-PET/CT).
There are no disease-specific symptoms or laboratory markers for this condition but a process of elimination of other conditions i.e. rheumatoid arthritis

Causes

Unknown maybe due to:
Two factors appear to be involved in the development of this condition:
- Genetics:
  - Certain genes and gene variations might increase your susceptibility.
- An environmental exposure:
  - New cases of polymyalgia rheumatica tend to come in cycles, possibly developing seasonally.
  - This suggests that an environmental trigger, such as a virus, might play a role.
  - But no specific virus has been shown to cause polymyalgia rheumatica.

Source: Pinterest

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually occur on both sides of the body and might include:

Aches or pain in your shoulders (usually both – common)?
Aches or pain in your neck, upper arms, buttocks, hips or thighs and/or pelvis (rare)?
Stiffness in affected areas, particularly in the morning or after being inactive for a time?
Limited range of motion in affected areas?
Pain or stiffness in your wrists, elbows or knees (often asymmetrically)?

You might also have more-general signs and symptoms, including:

Mild fever?
Fatigue?
A general feeling of not being well (malaise)?
Loss of appetite?
Unintended weight loss?
Depression?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Medical Emergency

And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

This condition can lead to:

Giant cell arteritis
Symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica can greatly affect your ability to perform everyday activities, such as:
- Getting out of bed, standing up from a chair or getting out of a car
- Combing your hair or bathing
- Getting dressed
- Insomnia

Driving Authority

One should notify their driving authority if one has this condition/disease.

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Rheumatoid arthritis
Rotary shoulder
Munchmeyer’s disease (fibrodysplasia ossificans) or ‘Stone man syndrome’ – a spontaneous or genetic condition where ones connective tissue turns in to bone tissue.
- Initially one has dental deformation , then stiff joints , movement problems and then breathing problems due to poor movement of the rib cage.
- Any injury can cause muscles to turn to bone hence it is a debilitating and restrictive condition.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Fibromyalgia
Systemic infection (infection all over the body)
Osteoarthritis
Cervical Osteoarthritis
Polymyositis
Seronegative spondyloarthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS),
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA),
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated arthritis i.e.
  - Crohn’s disease
  - Ulcerative colitis
- Reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter syndrome; ReA),
- Undifferentiated SpA

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Polymayalgia Rheumatica in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

Medical News Today
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Medscape (Professional level)
Latest medical news and expert commentary in your specialty as well as disease information.
Healthline
Medical Information and health advice you can trust
EveryDay Health
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Pharmaceutical Journal (Professional level)
The Pharmaceutical Journal covers analysis, features, opinion, learning and careers articles, providing insight and knowledge about drugs, pharmacy practice, medicines use and healthcare policy in the context of the pharmacy profession and pharmaceutical science.
NHS
Find information and advice on health conditions, symptoms, healthy living, medicines and how to get help (British National Health Service).
WebMD
Better Information. Better Health.
Cleveland Clinic
Pushing the Standards of care.
Mayo Clinic
No.1 Hospital in the Nation (America)
Drugs.com
Know more. Be sure.
National Organisation of Rare Diseases
NORD is dedicated to supporting education, elevating care, advancing research, and driving policy for rare diseases.
Verywell Health
Know more. Fell better.
Nathnac
Travel health guidance for health professionals advising travellers and for travellers going overseas from the UK.
DR Axe
Health and fitness news. Recipes, Natural Remedies
Better health - NHS
Healthy changes start with little changes. Whether you want to lose weight, drink less alcohol, get active or quit smoking, you have access to lots of free tools and support through Better Health. You can also find simple ways to lift your mood with Every Mind Matters.

There has never been a better time to kickstart your health. Let’s do this!

Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

Please click for ‘Ask ‘Doctor Jo’ exercise tips.