The older you get, the more often you have to deal with it: stiff muscles. After a day of weeding in the garden, for example. The next morning, you discover exactly where the muscles you used are because they feel stiff and sore. Quite normal. However, do you notice that you increasingly suffer from sore and stiff muscles around your neck, neck and shoulders, upper arms and/or hips or buttocks? If so, you may have muscular rheumatism. How to recognise muscular rheumatism and what to do about it is explained by (name of therapist) in this blog
How do you recognise muscular rheumatism?
- It manifests as stiffness and pain in the muscles around the neck, neck and shoulders, upper arms and/or hips or buttocks.
- Typically, the pain and stiffness are on both sides of your body.
- Besides stiffness and muscle pain, you may experience movement restrictions in neck, shoulders, hips and buttocks.
- You may also experience fever and fatigue.
What is muscular rheumatism?
The official name of muscular rheumatism is polymyalgia rheumatica, PMR for short. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks one's own body. How it arises, unfortunately, is still unknown. In this condition, inflammation can occur in the shoulder and hip joints, bursas, tendons and tendon insertions. The disease mainly occurs in people over 50. Women experience it twice as often as men. The good news: PMR is not a hereditary condition and in 70% of people, the disease progresses. It can take as long as two to three years, and in some people it takes longer.
A distinction can also be made between chronic and acute muscular rheumatism.
Usually, muscular rheumatism develops insidiously. The stiffness and muscle pain worsen slowly. In some cases, there is acute muscular rheumatism. In these cases, the stiffness and pain in the muscles occur overnight and the symptoms are immediately severe. Acute muscular rheumatism is not always recognised because it is reminiscent of a stiff muscle due to incorrect (sleeping) posture.
Difference between muscular rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis
A big difference between with other forms of rheumatism, is that in muscular rheumatism the joints are not affected. Also, the inflammation is not in the joints, but all around. It hardly occurs in people under 50. Other forms of rheumatism do occur at all ages.
Difference between muscular rheumatism and fibromyalgia
Many people think that muscular rheumatism is the same as fibromyalgia, because pain radiates from the muscles in both conditions. This is not correct. In fact, the symptoms arise in a different way. Fibromyalgia is also called soft tissue rheumatism. In this case, the muscles hurt, but there are no inflammatory symptoms. Also, the pain is not only in the characteristic areas of muscular rheumatism. Moreover, fybromyalgia mainly occurs in women between 25 and 45 years of age. Characteristically, on the contrary, it occurs only one stage of life later.
What are the symptoms of muscular rheumatism?
The main symptom in muscular rheumatism or polymyalgia rheumatica is pain and stiffness in neck, shoulders, upper arms, hips and thighs. When exercising the affected muscle groups, the pain increases. In the morning when waking up, the pain is most severe. You experience great discomfort during your usual morning rituals such as getting up, washing and dressing. Only after an hour do the stiffness and pain subside. You may also suffer from fatigue, lack of energy, night sweats and weight loss. Fever and feeling sick may also be involved.
How can you treat muscular rheumatism?
If your GP or rheumatologist has diagnosed you with muscular rheumatism, you may first be given anti-inflammatories to control the pain and inflammation. Prednisone may also be prescribed. I recommend combating your muscle pain and stiffness by doing regular exercises. By moving, your limitations will decrease and you can prevent worse. This is best done under the supervision of a physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy for muscular rheumatism
Muscular rheumatism can limit you in your daily activities. Your physiotherapist will focus treatment on reducing or removing those limitations. The main focus will be on making and keeping your joints flexible, increasing muscle strength and improving your condition.
It IS important to exercise regularly, which is why you will receive instructions from your physiotherapist on how and how often to do exercises. You will also receive advice from us on how to keep healthy and responsible exercise and sports if you have muscular rheumatism.
Want to know more about how to deal with this in your daily life?
Or would you like more information about our treatment for muscular rheumatism? Please contact us at 085-5000333, info@friskfysio.nl or via the contact page on our website
