Polymyalgia rheumatica

Symptoms:

• hip pain and hip stiffness
• shoulder pain and shoulder stiffness
• neck pain and neck stiffness
• muscle pain (minimal, less common than aching)
• fever
• weight loss
• anemia
• fatigue (excessive tiredness)
• general ill feeling (malaise)
• face pain
• other joint pain

Note: Symptoms begin abruptly.

Signs and tests:

Fever may be the only symptom in some cases (the person has a fever of unknown origin). Signs of giant cell arteritis may also be present.

Blood tests are nonspecific.

• The sedimentation rate (ESR) is often elevated.
• Creatine kinase (CPK) is normal.
• Hemoglobin or hematocrit may be normal or low.