Polymyalgia rheumatica is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain in the muscles near the shoulder and hip joints, accompanied by stiffness and difficulty in moving the joints, which lasts about 1 hour after waking up.
Although its cause is not known, this problem is more common in the elderly over 65 and rarely occurs in people under 50.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is generally not curable, but treatment with corticosteroids helps to relieve symptoms and may even prevent them from recurring after 2 or 3 years.
Main symptoms
The signs and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually appear on both sides of the body and include:
- Severe pain in the shoulders that can radiate to the neck and arms;
- Hip pain that can radiate to the butt;
- Stiffness and difficulty in moving your arms or legs, especially after waking up;
- Difficulty getting out of bed;
- Feeling of excessive tiredness;
- Fever below 38ºC.
Over time and with the appearance of several crises, other symptoms may also appear, such as a general feeling of malaise, lack of appetite, weight loss and even depression.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica can be difficult to confirm, since the symptoms are similar to other joint diseases, such as arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, it may be necessary to do several tests, such as blood tests or MRI to rule out other hypotheses.
In some cases, the use of medicines for other diseases may even be started before reaching the correct diagnosis and, if the symptoms do not improve, the treatment is changed to try to solve a new diagnosis hypothesis.
How to treat
The main form of treatment for this disease is the use of corticosteroid drugs, such as Prednisolone, to help reduce joint inflammation and relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness.
Normally, the initial dose of corticosteroid treatment is 12 to 25 mg per day, being reduced over time until the lowest possible dose is reached without symptoms appearing again. This is done because corticosteroid medications, when used frequently, can cause diabetes, weight gain and even frequent infections.
Learn more about the effect of these drugs on the body.
In addition, the rheumatologist can also recommend the intake of calcium and vitamin D, through supplements or foods such as yogurt, milk or egg, to strengthen the bones and avoid some of the side effects of corticosteroids.
Physiotherapy treatment
Physiotherapy sessions are recommended for people who have been unable to move properly for a long time due to the pain and stiffness caused by polymyalgia rheumatica. In these cases, the physiotherapist does some exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles.
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