The short-term effect of COVID-19 pandemic on disability, pain intensity, psychological status, and exercise habits in patients with chronic pain

Abstract

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the lives of people worldwide. The first declaration of a state of emergency in Japan, based on the Act on Special Measures for the Prevention and Control of the Novel Coronavirus, was issued from 16 April 2020 to 14 May 2020 to reduce person-to-person contact. Restrictions on going out, participating in community activities, and visiting hospitals were in place. This study investigates the short-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic pain. Methods This study included outpatients with chronic pain undergoing treatment at the Pain Center of Nara Medical University Hospital. The patients had completed questionnaires for a disability during the study period, from 1 July to 30 September 2019 (baseline), 1 October to 31 December 2019 (pre-pandemic), and 1 July to 30 September 2020 (during the pandemic). The questionnaire covered changes in disability, pain intensity, health-related quality of life (QOL), anxiety, depression, catastrophic thinking, and the presence/absence of exercise habits at baseline, pre-pandemic, and during the pandemic. Results Of the 245 eligible patients, there was no significant disability difference between baseline, pre-pandemic, and during the pandemic ( p = 0.14). Similarly, pain intensity, health-related QOL, anxiety, depression, and the presence/absence of exercise habits did not significantly differ between baseline, pre-pandemic, and during the pandemic either. The current study observed significant differences in terms of catastrophic thinking ( p = 0.02). Conclusion The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic pain were not apparent in the short-term. Clinical trail registration : UMIN000043174

The pandemic’s effect on a patient cohort with painful polyneuropathy in 2020: A longitudinal study on pain, mood, and everyday life

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“…Due to the long-term observation of our cohort throughout the entire year, we have now been able to show that the perception of pain intensity was indeed dependent on pandemic activity, with lower pain intensity during lockdown and higher during loosened regulations, whereas domains like sleep, mood and quality of life did not change significantly in the validated measures, which is consistent with previous reports. [ 26 , 27 ] In our cohort, the consideration of the co-factor “health care” was decisive: patients who reported medical disadvantages had a lower quality of life upon EQ-5D and were significantly more worried about their health.…”

Worsening pain and quality of life for spine surgery patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Roles of psychological distress and patient activation

“…Prior studies have documented increased psychological distress during previous epidemics or pandemics, including Ebola virus disease in 2014 [ 35 , 36 ] and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 [37] . Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to negatively affect health, leading to greater pain severity in patients with chronic pain [ 38 , 39 ] and reduction in patients with musculoskeletal conditions [40] . Our study suggests that individuals with psychological distress, especially depression, experience more detrimental impact on their pain and their satisfaction with participation in social roles compared with those without psychological distress as a response to the external stress of COVID-19.…”

The Role of Resilience, Happiness, and Social Support in the Psychological Function during the Late Stages of the Lockdown in Individuals with and without Chronic Pain

“…Together these findings consistently indicate that the social distancing measures had a negative impact on the physical, psychological, and social function of individuals with chronic pain. Moreover, research has consistently identified a group of variables that are associated with the negative impact of social distancing measures on patients with chronic pain and their poor adjustment to them (e.g., catastrophic thinking, anxiety; [ 5 , 7 ]).…”