Symptoms of Paget's disease of bone include bone or joint pain and problems caused by a nerve being squashed or damaged.
But in many cases, there are no obvious symptoms and the condition is only found during tests carried out for another reason.
1 bone or several bones may be affected. Commonly affected areas include the:
- pelvis
- spine
- skull
- shoulders
- legs
Paget's disease may cause pain in the bone itself and in the joints near the affected bone.
The bone pain is usually:
- dull or aching
- deep within the affected part of the body
- constant
- worse at night
The affected area may also feel warm.
Abnormal bone growth can result in bone squashing (compressing) or damaging a nearby nerve.
Possible signs of this can include:
- pain travelling from the spine down into your legs (sciatica)
- numbness or tingling in the affected limbs (peripheral neuropathy)
- partial loss of movement in your limbs
- balance problems
- loss of bowel control (bowel incontinence) or loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have partial loss of movement in your limbs or loss of bowel or bladder control.
Paget's disease of bone can also cause a range of other problems, including:
- fragile bones that are more likely to break
- osteoarthritis – damage to the joints, causing painful and stiff joints
- deformities in affected bones, such as curved legs (bow legs) or a curved spine (scoliosis)
- hearing loss, headaches, vertigo (a spinning sensation) and tinnitus (hearing noises in your ears) – these may occur if the skull is affected
- heart problems
Read more about the complications of Paget's disease of bone.
See a GP if you have:
- persistent bone or joint pain
- deformities in any of your bones
- symptoms of a nerve problem, such as numbness, tingling or balance problems
A GP can organise tests to check your bones and look for problems such as Paget's disease of bone.
Read more about how Paget's disease of bone is diagnosed.
14 April 2023
