MRI Showing Edema And Arthritis In Knee And Extremely Difficult To Stand Due To Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Question : I have extreme pain in my lower legs, knees, ankles, and right arm/elbow for the past 2 1/2 years+. I have been diagnosed with PMR. I have extreme difficulty standing up. I have to push/pull myself up to stand up from a sitting position. I have seen a rheumatologist, and a neurologist. The blood tests show elevated inflammation in my system. I have had MRI on my back which came back as normal with a little arthritis, one in my right knee in May of 2012 which showed edema, some arthritis, cartilige damage, and a trauma injury in a muscle in the back side of my knee (this is when all this pain started). Dec. of 2012 my left thigh/knee muscle "popped" and now my left side is worse than my right side. Doctors have "drained" my knee without success, and in July 2013 put me on prednisone with tylenol for arthritis 4 x's and day reducing the prednisone over time I am currently taking 4 mg of prednisone. I am still in extreme pain and it is difficult to "function". In Nov. 2013 I had a muscle biopsy- looking for possible MS?- the results came back and showed the muscle as being normal. I do physical therapy as tolerated, and sit in a hot tub at times to help eliviate the pain. Exercise seems to make my condition worse. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As I reviewed the health query, my pain has been for the past 1 1/2 years+. I am also suffering with fatigue and I have a CPAP at night due to not getting enough air through my nasal passages causing me to breath through my mouth and snore causing my throat to swell and not be able to talk and difficult to swallow.