A frequent symptom of polymyalgia rheumatica is stiffness in the neck.
When polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) occurs, the body's immune system attacks its own connective tissues, causing the tissue of the affected joints and occasionally arteries to become inflamed.
The disease can last for up to 5 years but usually less and is responsive to low to moderate doses of prednisone (steroid).
PMR affects around 59 out of 100,000 people over the age of 50 each year and is most often seen in Caucasian women.
