Polymyositis is a rare, chronic and degenerative disease characterized by progressive inflammation of the muscles, causing pain, weakness and difficulty performing movements. Inflammation usually occurs in the muscles that are related to the trunk, that is, there may be involvement of the neck, hip, back, thighs and shoulders, for example.
The main cause of polymyositis is autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system begins to attack the body itself, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome, for example. This disease is more common in women and usually the diagnosis occurs between the ages of 30 and 60, and polymyositis is rare in children.
The initial diagnosis is made based on the assessment of the person's symptoms and family history and treatment usually includes the use of immunosuppressive drugs and physical therapy.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of polymyositis are related to inflammation of the muscles and are:
- Joint pain; Muscle pain; Muscle weakness; Fatigue; Difficulty performing simple movements, such as getting up from a chair or putting your arm over your head; Weight loss; Fever; Color change of the fingertips, known as Raynaud's phenomenon or disease.
Some people with polymyositis may have involvement of the esophagus or lungs, leading to difficulty in swallowing and breathing, respectively.
Inflammation usually occurs on both sides of the body and, if left untreated, can cause the muscles to atrophy. Therefore, when identifying any of the symptoms, it is important to go to the doctor so that the diagnosis can be made and treatment can be started.
Polymyositis and dermatomyositis
Like polymyositis, dermatomyositis is also an inflammatory myopathy, that is, a chronic degenerative disease characterized by inflammation of the muscles. However, in addition to muscle involvement, in dermatomyositis there is the appearance of skin lesions, such as red spots on the skin, especially in the joints of the fingers and knees, in addition to swelling and redness around the eyes. Learn more about dermatomyositis.
How to diagnose
The diagnosis is made according to the family history and symptoms presented by the person. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may request a muscle biopsy or an examination that is able to assess the activity of the muscle from the application of electrical currents, electromyography. Learn more about electromyography and when it is needed.
In addition, biochemical tests that can also assess muscle function, such as myoglobin and creatinophosphokinase or CPK, for example, can be ordered. Understand how the CPK exam is done.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of polymyositis aims to relieve symptoms, since this chronic degenerative disease has no cure. Therefore, the use of corticosteroid medications, such as Prednisone, may be recommended by the physician to relieve pain and decrease muscle inflammation, in addition to immunosuppressants, such as Methotrexate and Cyclophosphamide, for example, with the aim of decreasing the immune response. against the organism itself.
In addition, it is recommended to perform physical therapy to recover the movements and prevent muscle atrophy, since in polymyositis the muscles are weakened, making it difficult to perform simple movements, such as placing your hand on your head, for example.
If there is also involvement of the esophageal muscles, causing difficulty in swallowing, it may also be indicated to go to a speech therapist.
