Rheumatic polymyalgia is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain in the muscles near the shoulder and hip joints, accompanied by stiffness and difficulty moving the joints, which lasts about 1 hour after waking up.
Although its cause is unknown, this problem is more common in people over the age of 65 and rarely occurs in people under the age of 50.
- Rheumatic polymyalgia is generally not curable.
- But corticosteroid therapy helps relieve symptoms and can even prevent them from reproducing after 2 or 3 years.
Signs and symptoms of rheumatic polymyalgia usually appear on both sides of the body and include:
Over time and with the onset of several seizures, other symptoms may also appear, such as general discomfort, lack of appetite, weight loss and even depression.
Diagnosis of rheumatoid polymyalgia can be difficult to confirm, as symptoms are similar to other joint diseases, such as arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, so several tests, such as blood tests or MRI, may be needed to rule out other hypotheses.
In some cases, you can even start using medications for other diseases before reaching the correct diagnosis and, if symptoms do not improve, treatment is modified to try to resolve a new diagnostic hypothesis.
The main form of treatment for this disease is the use of corticosteroids, such as prednisolone, to help reduce inflammation of the joints and relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness.
Typically, the starting dose of corticosteroid treatment is 12 to 25 mg a day, decreasing over time to the lowest possible dose without symptoms reappearing, as corticosteroids, when used frequently, can cause diabetes, weight gain and even frequent infections. .
Learn more about the effect of these drugs on your body
Additionally, the rheumatologist may also recommend intake of calcium and vitamin D, through supplements or foods such as yogurt, milk or egg, to strengthen bones and avoid some of the side effects of corticosteroids.
Physiotherapy sessions are recommended for people who cannot move properly for a long time due to the pain and stiffness caused by rheumatic polymyalgia, in these cases the physical therapist performs some exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles.