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Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) refers to the condition in which a person has pain in the muscles of the girdles (hip and shoulder). It is a chronic inflammatory condition of unknown origin and usually affects the elderly. The patient feels pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, and hips accompanied by morning stiffness of around 1 hour or more. Although the pain and stiffness are felt in the muscles, there is no sign of inflammation in the muscle. Instead, the inflammation occurs in the periarticular bursas and tendon insertions.
Around 15% of people with PMR have a concomitant disorder known as giant cell arteritis, in which blood vessels of the face and scalp become inflamed and cause severe headaches.
It is found more commonly in females. It is diagnosed by clinical symptoms and excluding related disorders. Corticosteroids remain the key agents in the treatment. Although the disease can remit by itself in a few years, medications and self-care help cope with the disease and improve quality of life.