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How to address PMR pain while decreasing prednisone
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Nov 6, 2023 | Replies (747)Comment receiving replies
My name is John and I woke up one morning 7 years ago with terrible, neck and shoulder pain. My MRI's show some arthritis at C1, and degeneration from C2 down to T1. I have had botox injects, nerve ablations, steroid shots, etc. The pain doctors I see are at a complete loss as to what is wrong. They tried sending me to Cleveland Clinic but they refuse to see chronic pain patients. I ended up going to Mayo in Florida a few years ago, they were just as puzzled as my pain doctors, and were unable to help. I recently went through stem cell injections and they didn't help with the pain or mobility either. The doctor is now thinking it is an immune system disorder as I have Psoriasis. If you don't mind me asking, how long were you in pain before you were diagnosed? And what were the onset of your symptoms
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Hi John @digregorioj, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for the private message. I thought I would answer you here in the discussion since you posted your symptoms. I went for almost 2 months before I went to my primary care doctor who then sent me to see a rheumatologist after my appointment/exam by him. It started with some unrelated issues (gout in right foot and swollen knee) and just got worse until I could barely walk and had extreme pain in my shoulder, arms, hand and legs which is when I went to the doctor. That was my first bout with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) back in 2007. I was treated with 20 mg prednisone dosage which got rid of the pain the same day. They also withdrew some fluid from my knee and gave me a steroid shot for the knee problem. I was able to taper off the prednisone after 3 years when the PMR with into remission.
I have since been diagnosed with osteopenia, idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (no pain, just numbness in the feet to above the ankles), lymphedema and sleep apnea. I also have advanced degenerative arthritis in my knee joints.
@digregorioj, have you have seen a rheumatologist?
Here is another discussion I would recommend reading...
> Groups > Neuropathy > Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/