Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a rare disease characterized by widespread pain and stiffness in muscle groups, with no definitive cause. Researchers speculate that it may be related to a defect in the immune system, genetics, or viruses. PMR tends to be more common in Caucasian women of Northern European descent.
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a medical disease or syndrome most commonly characterized by widespread pain and stiffness in muscle groups in different areas of the body, such as the hips, shoulders and neck. The disease is rare and physicians are, for the most part, at a loss in terms of definitively identifying the causes of polymyalgia rheumatica. Based on the nature of the condition as a rheumatic disease, some researchers are able to speculate that the possible causes of polymyalgia rheumatica may be related to some sort of defect in the patient’s immune system. Other studies, although inconclusive, speculate that there may be a correlation between a person’s genetic makeup and their likelihood of contracting the disease. Additional studies research the possible link between viruses as causes or primary triggers of polymyalgia rheumatica.
The inflammation and pain present in polymyalgia rheumatica are a result of the body’s immune system’s effective attack, usually focused on specific joints in the body. White blood cells and other proteins that would normally attack foreign agents begin attacking the area around the joint, causing inflammation, stiffness, and pain in the muscle around that area. Polymyalgia rheumatica is classified as a rheumatic disease because these attacks and inflammations occur for no apparent reason, as there is no apparent threat to the body in any of the affected areas. The condition may be rooted primarily in a defect in the immune system, especially considering giant cell arteritis, a disease similar to polymyalgia rheumatica that is also often classified as an autoimmune disease.
Some researchers have tentatively concluded that, among other factors, polymyalgia rheumatica tends to be more common in Caucasian people, or more specifically, those of Northern European descent. The disease also tends to be more common in women than in men. In addition to other considerations, such as certain patterns in family histories of the disease and other genetic factors, some researchers have been led to believe that genetics are among the possible causes of polymyalgia rheumatica. While correlation does not imply causation, these studies can at least indicate that some individuals may be more likely to develop the disease than others.
Still other studies look for triggers external to the disease, despite the apparent arbitrariness of the immune system’s attacks. These studies, while inconclusive, note that the disease tended to have its onset in cycles across a population, similar to the natural contagious process of viruses. In particular, some viruses that have been identified as possible causes of polymyalgia rheumatica are virus B19, adenovirus, and human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV). Some researchers speculate that the disease may be caused by a combination of all of these genetic and environmental factors.
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