Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica causes pain and swelling in joints and muscles, mainly in the hips, neck, and shoulders. Pain and swelling may be worse in the morning. 

This condition can occur quickly and often lasts for a year or two. Your doctor will treat you with medicine to reduce swelling. Your symptoms should get much better in 1 to 3 days and go away in 2 to 4 weeks. Still, you may need to take medicine to prevent it from coming back. You may be on the medicine for 1 to 2 years or longer.

Some people who have this also get giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis), which causes swelling of some blood vessels in the head. Tell your doctor if you have any headaches, jaw pain, or tightness or tenderness along the temple or scalp. This condition can cause blindness if it is not treated. 

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