← Return to Exercise with PMR and/or GCA

Discussion

Exercise with PMR and/or GCA

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Mar 8 3:21pm | Replies (8)

Comment receiving replies
@johnbishop

Hello @isabelle7, I can understand worrying about your husband after he suddenly developed GCA symptoms.
It's good to hear he is starting to feel better and his headaches are under control. I don't have any experience with GCA but I think exercise was one of the keys to feeling better with my PMR and getting it under control as long as I didn't overdo the exercise. @redboat, @tsc, @ess77, and others may have some experience to share with exercise and GCA along with PMR.

You may also find these related discussions helpful:
--- Resistance Training and PMR: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/resistance-training-and-pmr/
--- PMR and exercise: What helps you?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pmr-and-exercise/

Has your husband looked into any alternative treatments to help with the PMR/GCA?

Jump to this post


Replies to "Hello @isabelle7, I can understand worrying about your husband after he suddenly developed GCA symptoms. It's..."

Thank you for your response @johnbishop. And for sharing the links and others who have experience with exercise with GCA and PMR. It's good to hear that exercise is a good thing - not something to worry about. I was afraid he was doing too much with the resistance bands and that it could have somehow made matters worse (before getting GCA.)

I haven't heard of any alternative treatments that would help PMR/GCA. Aside from Actemra which we are holding off starting until the results of his CAT scans come back. His biopsy confirmed he has GCA but the doctor wants to make sure there's not something else going on. She mentioned she wants to rule out MPA which is Microscopic Polyangitis which is described as a rare condition that results from blood vessel inflammation. MPA can cause damage to organ systems. Areas most commonly affected by MPA include the kidneys, lung, nerves, skin and joints. I really hope he doesn't have that. I've never heard of it, but then again, until he got them I'd never heard of PMR or GCA.