by Dr Pandula Siribaddana

Created on: September 11, 2010

What is polymyalgia rhumatica?

polymyalgia rhumatica is an inflammatory condition which would give rise to pain and stiffness in certain parts of the body and it usually affects the elderly individuals. The disease would be characterized by pain and stiffness of muscles in the neck, shoulder, upper arm, lower back and the thigh muscles and such stiffness and pain could vary from person to person depending on the age, activity level, other associated medical problems…etc. At the same time, polymyalgia rhumatica will not manifest gradually as in the case of other chronic inflammatory problems in the joints, but would manifest within few days from its earliest clinical manifestations.

What are the factors which would increase the risk of polymyalgia rhumatica in a patient?

When considering the risk factors, genetic susceptibility as well as environmental factors such as infectious agents can be highlighted although the occurrence of the said condition is thought to be multifactorial in origin with giant cell arteritis might also be playing a major role.

What are the symptoms of polymyalgia rhumatica?

The earliest and the most significant sign of polymyalgia rhumatica would be the pain and the stiffness as mentioned before. The said manifestations would be initially seen at the shoulder area and can progress to the neck, upper arm, lower back, buttocks, thigh…etc. Furthermore, there can be a pain in the upper arm on touching while the range of movements in the associated joints would be rather limited. The stiffness associated with this conditions can be seen as increasing following prolonged immobility and this would be readily seen early morning following getting up from the bed.

Apart from these symptoms, susceptible individuals would also demonstrate certain other manifestations such as a mild fever, excessive tiredness and generalized feeling of not being well in the initial stages of the disease. At the same time, they can also complain of poor appetite, weight loss and depression like symptoms as well.

As there is a risk of other inflammatory diseases manifesting along with polymyalgia rhumatica, such conditions would also give rise to some of the symptoms in these patients and ‘arteritis’ is one such manifestation which would give rise to headache, tenderness over the inflamed blood vessels, nausea and vomiting, jaw pain…etc in addition to the usual manifestations of polymyalgia rhumatica.

How is the condition diagnosed?

The diagnosis of the disease would make use of presentation of the symptoms that was mentioned above, the examination findings, blood tests such as ESR and C reactive protein and imaging studies. Most of these tests would exclude any other pathologies although the ESR and C reactive protein would indicate the possible intensity of the inflammatory reaction in the body.

Learn more about this author, Dr Pandula Siribaddana.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.