Diane
I would suggest you go to a GOOD rheumatologist who has had a lot of experience with polymyalgia rheumatica. It is hard to diagnose and doctors often don't agree on just what it is, nor do they know what causes it. Some research suggests a viral link, but that is not clear at all. If you have a high "sed" rate and your doctor put you on Prednisone, you probably have PMR. My mother had for about 15 yrs and was on Prednisone the whole time, off and on, trying to find alternatives. Nothing worked as well as Prednisone, but the long term effects of long-term usage can be devastating, as it was with my mother. Despite her attempts to counter-act it's effects, her bones became brittle and her skin very fragile, which caused other complications, and ultimately her death last fall. I don't want to scare you, just want to warn you re: long term use of Prednisone. Try to avoid it as much as possible. Good luck.