Am 74 years old.....Had a bout of PMR a year ago,went onto a Prednisone programme for 6 months,and ended up back to normal,I had a knee replacement 5 months ago.I am now expriencing muscular pain in and around both my knees.I have also lost 3-4 kilos in weight and a little bit of muscular pain in my back area.Does PMR normally effect the lower back area and knee"s.If so,I may have to go back onto another Prednisone programme
Has anybody out there had any similar situation,or can offer any advice.
It doesn't sound like typical PMR but yes, lots of people get low back pain at some point of PMR.
PMR is not normally treated with a short "prednisone programme" but some patients, more often men who seem to experience PMR differntly from women, are able to reduce their pred very quickly as you did. The statistics suggest about a quarter of patients are able to reduce their pred to zero within less than 2 years but this group are more likely to relapse at some later point. Most people require a low dose of pred for a few years at least.
Before asking to try pred again - unless the symptoms progress to something much more typical of PMR - it might be an idea to consider the biomechanics of walking. You presumably were not walking well before your TKR (I assume TKR?) and the new knee will have changed that dramatically. That is a common cause of low back problems, particularly myofascial pain syndrome, and that can cause referred pain into the thighs. Do you have acccess to a physiotherapist or osteopath you could consult? I don't know where you are - but in the UK I would also look for a Bowen therapist as quite a few PMR patients have found it helps with back, shoulder and hip problems they have had alongside PMR but which weren't "typically" PMR.
Eileen what is Bowen therapy ? Is it a hands on only did have massage and told not too , have private Accupuncture which is good but do miss the massage only did help at time with shoulder neck pain
If you search for Bowen therapy Joanne Hewitt you will find info and an explanation from the lady I used to go to. Looking for Bowen video online will bring up loads of videos showing it being done. It is very gentle and if you haven't tried it before you might think it can't possibly be doing anything! I, and others, have found it very effective! One lady was bedbound, could just get to the loo next door using a zimmer frame. She walked out of the first session and had to go back for the walking stick she'd used to get from the car to the room!
I have used massage the entire time I have had PMR and it has been fine. I know a few people found it caused them problems - that is most likely to be due to the massage releasing cytokines from trigger spots into the general circulation which would make you feel as if you have an attack of PMR the next day! I do get sore muscles from massage but it's a different sore and after a Bowen session you are told to drink loads to flush the "toxins" out of your system - it does make a difference!
Thankyou Eileen for your quick reply . Had massage with a sports massage lady who was gentle with me as she new I had had problems for a few years , this was before diagnosis . Anyhow things started getting worse so stopped for a while and that is when I had Accupuncture .Saw a physio last November a couple of weeks before being told I had PMR as soon as I told her she stopped me doing the neck shoulder exercises . told me not to have massage and more or less told me not to darken her doorstep again . I must say at that time she frightened the life out of me and I wondered what on earth I was in for . It was after that I found this forum which has been so helpful . Perhaps she would be as well to look at it . Will certainly look into this Bowen and see if there is any one local Carol
How rude! I have no problem with people telling me not to do somehting but I'd like the evidence please and a polite explanation! I've been having the occasional sports massage for years and I know what to expect! I had a wonderful little Greek bloke when I lived in Germany who was the physio for the local football team. For about 9 months he worked on my back at least once a week sorting out the damage done by a whiplash injury - by the time he'd finished my back muscles were properly soft and not as hard as the floor as they had been to start with. All paid for by the healhcare cover :-)
The main problem with physio is that it relies on repeated and/or sustained movements - and that is poison in PMR. I presume the muscles produce lactate that isn't removed by the impoverished blood supply, so at the time the muscles tire quickly because of poor oxygen supply and then hurt for longer afterwards because of the lactate. Though I doubt anyone has looked at it to find out! Certainly, if you build up the amount you do VERY gradually it is better - that is a principle used in exercising in claudication due to vascular disease but even so it isn't 100% successful just improves things somewhat.
Thanks for your input Eileen........It is 4 months since my knee replacement,and i am walking normally again,but after sitting down for any period of time,when i get up i limp for about 30secs. and then every thing becomes normal.......i can walk for miles with no pain,but the knee cramp is still there.Reading thru some of the replies,it appears that some sufferers are meeting with good results by taking Magnessium supplements............maybe it is worth a try in my case.