Inflammatory Muscle Disorders

Inflammatory Muscle Disorders

PMR is a commonly encountered condition occurring over the age of 60 and characterised by muscle pain in the upper arms, shoulders, neck, thighs and low back. It’s an inflammatory problem, so symptoms are typically worse at night, in the early mornings and after periods of inactivity. A patient may feel fatigue and lose some weight. Some patients may also develop inflammation of some joints, such as the wrists, hands and feet. A small number of patients may also have headaches, visual disturbances and jaw pain- an associated condition called temporal arteritis or giant cell arteritis (GCA). The cause of these conditions remains unclear but they tend to remit over 18-24 months. These conditions respond extremely well to steroids and it’s important to start with the correct dose and not to over or under treat the patient. Many patients are over treated, leading to unnecessary exposure to potential steroid side effects. The majority of patients are able to stop treatment within 2 years but about 20% of patients require a small dose of steroids in the long term.