How does the doctor know if the diagnosis is polymyalgia rheumatica?

PMR: The most typical symptom is pain and stiffness in both shoulders and the neck. This pain usually progresses to the hips, and there isfatigue too. It becomes more and more difficult for patients to get around. Other symptoms include: 1)anemia, 2)appetite loss, which leads to unintentional weight loss, depression, 4)fever there are no specific joint symptoms. Lab tests cannot diagnose pmr.

Whole picture: Agree with dr. Rosenfeld about shoulder & hip pain. Also, age 50+, high sedimentation rate (blood test), and exquisite response to Prednisone are part of the whole picture which support a diagnosis.

H&P and labs: Most patients with polymyagia rheumatica have a classic syndrome of pain and stifness in the shoulders and upper arm muscles and hip pain and stiffness including leg muscles. Stiffness of proximal muscles and joints are quite common. Usually, labs show increased measures of inflammation such as the sed rate and crp. Steroids are usually quite helpful in reducing symptoms.