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Summary

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and hips. It is most common in women and almost always occurs in people over 50. The main symptom is stiffness after resting. Other symptoms include fever, weakness and weight loss. In some cases, polymyalgia rheumatica develops overnight. In others, it is gradual.

The cause of polymyalgia rheumatica is unknown. There is no specific test for it. Your doctor will use your medical history, symptoms, and a physical exam to make the diagnosis. Lab tests for inflammation may help confirm the diagnosis.

Polymyalgia rheumatica sometimes occurs along with giant cell arteritis, a condition that causes swelling of the arteries in your head. Symptoms include headaches and blurred vision. Doctors often prescribe prednisone, a steroid medicine, for both conditions. With treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica usually disappears in a day or two. Without treatment, it usually goes away after a year or more.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Prednisone (Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center)
• Prednisone and Other Corticosteroids: Balance the Risks and Benefits (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• What is Vasculitis? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Polymyalgia Rheumatica (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: "The added value of 18f-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of onset...
• Article: Red cell distribution width is a potential predictor of early relapse...
• Article: Antimitochondrial Antibodies and Primary Biliary Cholangitis in Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica/Giant...
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American College of Rheumatology
• Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• ESR (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Polymyalgia rheumatica (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish