What does crp level show? And rib area pain?

I have been diagnosed with PMR since December 2013, although the symptoms first appeared in the September of that year. Like a lot of patients the pain began in my neck, the right side to be precise, then spread to the whole neck, shoulders, shoulder blades and joints, toos of arms then, bottom, hips groin and backs of knees. The pain and stiffness was on the whole bilateral although always that little bit worse on my right side. About a month prior to my first rheumatologist appointment pain then developed in my 2 thumbs, the outside bone in my left wrist, ribs and my left breast bone next to my sternum. Following preds very quickly all the pain and stiffness reduced and over a very quick period of time disappeared, almost, completely. I had a flare in December last attempting to reduce from 9 to 8 and most of the pain returned including the pain in my ribs, but no where near as bad as pre diagnosis as I upped my preds before all the pain and stiffness could take hold, but this time round the pain and stiffness took longer to reduce and get under control.

i have heard patients on this very forum also say that they experienced rib pain. I do hope you get the inflamation under control soon. All the best, christina 

Yes, I am one who experiences rib pain as well.  My symptoms of PMR were classic except for the rib pain.  The presence of the rib pain was part of the reason why my doctor was initially reluctant to diagnose me with PMR.  But after all the blood tests and MRI's and x-rays which ruled out many of the "baddies," and after seeing my immediate response to prednisone, he acknowledged that I was probably dealing with PMR (although is preferred diagnosis is "undifferentiated infammatory arthritis).

I'm in the midst of a flareup right now which has manifested itself mostly in my ribs.  

From reading every one of the posts on this forum, it seems to me that PMR can affect us in so many ways, which can be a hindrance to diagnosing other problems.

But this forum is great.  Hang in there, read as much as you can, do whatever you can do, and then have faith.  I am a person of faith and don't know what I've have done without it since all this has hit.

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All the best,

Quite a fe people experience rib pain - in my experience it is often due to myofascial pain syndrome which often occurs alongside PMR and causes knots of inflamed muscle fibres in positions on either side of the spine which can lead to irritation of nerves and similar symptoms to "slipped" discs. The knots in the muscle are concentrations of cytokines, the same sunstances that cause the pain and stiffness in PMR, just it is more local. One pair of the trigger spots is just above the waist - they irritate nerves into the rib cage.

They can be treated with cortisone injections, manual mobilisation of the hard bit of muscle and many people have found that Bowen therapy is very beneficial.