What it is
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders and hips. It's most common in women and almost always affects people over 50. Its cause is unknown.
Symptoms
- The main one: stiffness after resting.
- Others: fever, weakness and weight loss.
- It can come on overnight in some people and gradually in others.
Diagnosis
There's no specific test for it. Your doctor will go by your medical history, your symptoms and a physical exam, and lab tests for inflammation can help confirm the diagnosis.
It sometimes occurs together with giant cell arteritis, a condition that causes swelling of the arteries in the head. Its symptoms include headaches and blurred vision.
Treatment
Doctors often prescribe prednisone, a steroid medicine, for both conditions. With treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica usually goes away within a day or two. Without it, it usually lasts a year or more before going away.
Sources
Based on "Polymyalgia Rheumatica," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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