Polymyalgia Rheumatica: Causes, Tests, and Treatment Options

By John Hewitt

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the muscles around the, neck, shoulders, upper arms, hips, buttocks, or thighs. The term literally means “rheumatic type of pain in many muscles.” Polymyalgia rheumatica is a medical condition which is potentially treatable. If it is diagnosed correctly and then lifestyle changes are made or the proper medication is taken to tackle it, it is a manageable condition and you can live a happy and normal life even if you have PMR.

Updated and revised! New diet section includes suggested recipes for PMR plus lifestyle tips.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andale LLC
• Release date: Mar 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310321474

John Hewitt

'John Hewitt outstrips the categories we keep invoking for him, such as “doyen of Ulster poets” or “conscience of the Planter tradition”. He becomes, instead, the universal poet, servant of the medium, renewer of the forms, discoverer of the nugget of harmony in the language and in ourselves.’ Seamus Heaney 'The constant subjects of his poetry are historical isolation and private loneliness. When he uses one as a metaphor for the other, he writes with an unforgettable mixture of courage and perception.' Eavan Boland    ‘John Hewitt the poet made himself heard in a land of bellowers without raising his voice. He held out the creative hand rather than the clenched fist.’ Michael Longley   John Hewitt, father figure to a generation of poets such as Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley, is widely acknowledged as a poetic icon and creative catalyst within the canon of Irish poetry. Edited, with a new introduction, by acclaimed poets Michael Longley and Frank Ormsby, Selected Poems is testament to Hewitt’s remarkable legacy, and a celebration of a unique, compelling and still urgent voice in Irish poetry. 

Book preview

What is Polymyalgia rheumatica?

Complications related to PMR

Why do you get PMR?

Common symptoms for PMR

Diagnosis

Treatment

Self help treatment

Keeping a PMR Journal

Diet and Suggested Recipes

Recipe Index

One: What is Polymyalgia rheumatica?

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the muscles around the neck, shoulders, upper arms, hips, buttocks, or thighs. The term literally means rheumatic type of pain in many muscles.

Usually, you have less chance of suffering from this condition if you are below the age of 50. The average age of diagnosis is about 70 years. It is rarely known to have occurred in people aged below 50 and is more prevalent among women. In fact, women are two times more likely to develop the condition than men. According to some researchers, women and men of Northern European or Scandinavian descent have a higher probability of getting PMR than those of other descent.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a medical condition which is potentially treatable. If it is diagnosed correctly and lifestyle changes are made or the proper medication is taken, then it is a manageable condition.

Polymyalgia rheumatica can occur overnight at times. You may sleep fine one day and find the next morning that you are unable to move due to severe stiffness of your shoulder and hip muscles. You may feel severe pain and difficulty in raising your arms above your head because of the stiffness.

PMR causes severe pain and can greatly hamper your social life. The first symptom is usually moderate to severe pain in the shoulders. There may be general symptoms, such as low-grade fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, or depression. If you have PMR, you need to be very careful with dietary habits and daily routine. You may also suffer from insomnia (the inability to sleep) which causes fatigue and tiredness.

The pain of PMR usually occurs in the morning, or after prolonged inactivity, such as a long car ride.

If you are suffering from PMR, you will find it extremely hard to get up from the bed in the morning or do any other activity that involves the movement of shoulders or hips. As the day goes on, the intensity of the pain and the stiffness of the muscles subside and you will gradually be able to be more active. Towards the evening, you’ll usually be able to walk around and perform activities like a person without PMR.

Occasionally, doctors may mistake polymyalgia rheumatica for fibromyalgia, a condition with somewhat similar symptoms. Fibromyalgia causes muscle stiffness and pain but no inflammation. This can lead to a misdiagnosis and wrong treatment while the actual condition -- polymyalgia rheumatica -- remains untreated. The difficulty of the diagnosis is further complicated by the fact that polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms are similar to those of a number of other diseases and these symptoms are not easily found in a physical examination. A number of tests and a proper diagnosis by a doctor can sufficiently establish whether or not you have PMR.

People suffering from PMR may become isolated in their social lives because of its effects. You may find it increasingly hard to take part in