Hi @johnarbaugh, you described my PMR hip pain almost exactly. My PMR pain was first concentrated in my hips but before I was diagnosed I had pain in both shoulders too. I have found muscle relaxers to be helpful as well as some occasional Tramadol, if I overdo, but Prednisone has been the primary relief. If your morning pain (before Prednisone) is higher than 2-3, that may be your indicator that your body is requiring more prednisone to cope. Unfortunately, I have had to go up on my dosage with direction from my rheumatologist and have learned that a slow taper is wise and may prevent some of those backwards steps. Good luck, I hope it gets a little easier to distinguish the pain. Blessings!