The following article will take you through the polymyalgia rheumatica treatment options and tell you how to go about it.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition that usually affects the elderly and is characterized by the swelling, pain, tenderness, and stiffness of the large muscles of the body. These usually involve the shoulders, hips, neck, thighs, and pelvic muscles. This condition affects many muscles at one point of time and makes daily activities like walking, lifting, and bending difficult to carry through.

In some, these symptoms make way in the mornings, while in others, these come about only in the evening. But no matter when they make way, they are extremely painful to deal with and that is why it becomes important to carry the treatment through. In the following sections we will look through the different treatment forms of this condition and understand the ways of carrying them out based on these treatment guidelines.

Natural Treatment Methods

There are several symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica that are similar to those of arthritis and rheumatism symptoms. In the way that they involve stiffness, joint pain, and general muscle pain. But PMR is caused by the inflammation of the small blood vessels that supply blood to the muscles of the hips, shoulders, and neck. It is an extremely discomforting condition and therefore the treatment becomes necessary.

Although the most common form of treatment involves steroids or the usage of prednisone, it is a synthetic product that is often looked upon as a dramatic form of treatment. Therefore, a more preferred choice has been that of the usage of natural means for the treatment. In the following section, we shall focus on some of these treatment methods.

Avoiding Certain Products
Avoiding products and foods that lead to making the inflammation severe and cause more pain and stiffness is important. These typically involve products that contain caffeine and calcium. An excess of these can lead to further problems and make the condition worse.

Including Healthy Oils
Certain healthy oils have been shown to supply the body with the required nutrients. These involve omega 3 essential fatty acids. Thus it helps in keeping the stiffness at bay. Other oils that have been known to help involve blackcurrant seed oil―this has a profusion of ALA and GLA acids which are known to ease inflammation and pain.

Using Herbs
There are several herbal remedies that are used as a part of the treatment too―some of these are devil's claw, evening primrose, bee pollen, comfrey herb (crushed root pulp), hoops, passion flower, valerian, St. John's wort, dandelion root juice, stinging nettle, rosemary, and mustard. All these herbs are used in varied forms, like some are consumed by boiling them in water and consuming that water, while others are used as an ingredient in a bath.

Doing Exercises
There are certain select exercises like physiotherapy and other forms like yoga that are used in the treatment. These help to improve the overall health of a person as well as deal with the pain that accompanies this condition.

Using Ayurvedic Medication
There are several ayurvedic medicines that are used for the treatment as well. The reason being that these medicines help to correct a disorder from the root and thereby correct the problem in its entirety. Some of the medicines that are used are kaishor-guggulu, trayodashang-guggulu, vat-gajankush-ras, triphala-guggulu, yograj-guggulu, maha-rasnadi-guggulu, panch-tikta-ghrut-guggulu, vish-tinduk-vati, and maha-vat-vidhwans-ras, bruhat-vat-chintamani, among others. These need to be taken in consultation with an ayurvedic doctor.

One has to consult a doctor before starting out on any of these polymyalgia rheumatica treatment forms and it has to be seen if these are choices that can be made in place of steroids. It is always better to use a milder version of medication in lower dosages instead of something that is very strong and can harm the body adversely.

Disclaimer - This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.