polymyalgia

[Redcottage]

have polymyalgia hands are sometimes painful

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hands can and are affected in PMR despite what some doctors may think.. does anything in particular trigger the pain?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Hi and welcome!

Mine too - they were sore in the early days with PMR, my feet as well, and it is due to synovitis in the joints. Now I think the hand pain is arthritis - the pred dealt with the synovitis.

[Nextoneplease]

I have pain my left hand only. The finger joints have very painful bony nodules and my whole hand is often hot and a bit swollen. Right hand doesn’t have those symptoms but thumb is arthritic and stiff.

I attribute this to arthritis but I may be wrong.. …

[dmart7]

My flares nearly always begin with bilateral hand pain followed by the shoulders, also bilateral. The hand pain focuses on the outer (ulna) half of the hand and is very uncomfortable. I can feel it in the finger joints but it is not confined to them. I suppose it is an open question whether the hand part is PMR or whether it is something else (ortho or neuro) that is partially being suppressed by Pred.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to dmart7]

Possibly swelling around the ulnar nerve?

"Ulnar tunnel syndrome is carpal tunnel's lesser-known cousin. Like the median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel in your hand, the ulnar nerve passes through Guyon's canal at your wrist."

webmd.com/pain-management/c...

[dmart7 in reply to PMRpro]

Yes – it is things like that which would be the “something else” I mentioned. It doesn’t conform closely to the normal course of ulnar syndrome….but that could be because it is suppressed by Pred.

[Sandmason in reply to dmart7]

My hand and wrist pain started suddenly, about a year in. There is a very good article in UpToDate.com, 2004, paywalled now, that stated clearly that hands and wrists can absolutely be affected by PMR, "sometimes exuberantly". I didn't know that as the talks by rheums on YouTube, (there are many) never mention it!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sandmason]

Hands and PMR often discussed on here...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandmason]

These mention hands and wrist pain

advancedrheum.com/services/...

saintlukeskc.org/health-lib...

Distal musculoskeletal manifestations in polymyalgia ... by C Salvarani · 2000 Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology

clinexprheumatol.org › article

The last one shows how it was mentioned in the original work by Bruce in 1888

"Bruce in the first published description of PMR in 1888, noted distal findings in 2 of his 5 patients (4). Case I had symptoms "affecting his hands and feet as well as his wrists and ankles". Case IV had symptoms that laid "hold of his arms, shoulders, and hands which swelled and stiffened, and lost so much strength that he could not put his hand to his mouth ..."

and concludes

"In summary, distal musculoskeletal manifestations are common in PMR. Peripheral synovitis is most frequent, but distal symptoms of diverse types such as carpal tunnel syndrome, isolated tenosynovitis and distal pitting edema often occur. Physicians need to be aware of these various manifestations in order to make a prompt and correct diagnosis and institute early the appropriate therapy."

And yet we are repeatedly told that PMR doesn't affect hands.

[Tappo]

Me too. Apparently pain in distal joints can occur in 50% of people with PMR.

[Musiclady18]

I too have painful hands. Went to the rheumatologist and she recommended this site arthritis.ca/living-well/20.... I have been doing the simple hand exercises and have found them very very helpful. Pain seems to not be as painful! Good luck !