Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in the shoulders and usually also the hips. If you break down the word “polymyalgia” it makes sense: “poly” means many, “my” means muscle, and “algia” means pain. So polymyalgia means pain in many muscles. “Rheumatica” comes from a Greek word that describes the muscles and soft tissues.