Polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a collection of symptoms rather than a specific disease. Typical symptoms include severe and painful muscle aches and stiffness, which particularly affect the neck, shoulders and thighs. The onset is usually sudden. People aged 50 years and over are most commonly affected. The average age of diagnosis is 70 years. It is common and very treatable.

Twice as many women as men develop the condition. The cause is unknown, but genetic susceptibility and ageing may play significant roles. Some researchers suspect that it is an inflammatory disorder triggered by the body's immune system attacking the joints for reasons unknown.