Oh yes PMR does affect the hands! Five months into diagnosis and down to 6 mg of prednisone, my arms from the elbow down to the wrists and hands are the only parts of me that hurt for a couple of hours each morning. I am still able to use my hands, but grappling with that bra hook makes me swear. An hour or so after taking prednisone and Tylenol, I can actually feel the discomfort in my hands easing.