Remission isn't well defined for PMR. Some speak of remission as being the relief of symptoms while still being treated with prednisone. Others say remission occurs when you are able to taper off prednisone. Some say you were never in remission if you taper off prednisone but have a relapse.

I have been off prednisone for 3 years but I'm still being treated with a biologic that isn't prednisone. I don't know if I qualify as being in remission. My rheumatologist noted that I might be in remission after 12 years of PMR treated with prednisone.

If I'm in remission, I definitely wouldn't say I was suddenly symptom free after tapering off prednisone. There was a "hangover effect" from long term prednisone use called adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency can last months or years after slowly tapering off prednisone and can contribute to muscle/joint pain.

PMR inflammation is said to not cause any bodily damage. If knee replacements with "aberrant healing" along with a "spontaneous" tendon rupture and other weird things aren't damage then I don't know what is. I also have significant lower back pain and nerve damage so that hurts too. Not to mention degenerative arthritis due to aging that is hard to avoid as we age.