Evaluation of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pain, stress, sleep and quality of life in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Aims:The study aimed to evaluate the association between the novel Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the level of pain, stress, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.Methods:This cross-sectional study included patients aged 18-65 years with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Age, gender, body mass index, systemic diseases, dominant pain area, duration of pain, analgesic use, and exercise habit before and after the pandemic were recorded. Participants were asked to evaluate their pain severity and global assessments in the last month and the pre-pandemic period with a visual analog scale (VAS). The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were administered.Results:The study included 100 participants (age, mean ± SD: 42.8±12.5 years, female: 69%). Compared with the pre-pandemic period, an increase in pain and global assessment scores, and poorer sleep hygiene in the last month were reported by 82%, 67%, and 66%, respectively. Pain severity VAS score (pre-pandemic: 3.9±2 vs. post-pandemic: 5.9±2.1, p<0.001), global assessment VAS score (pre-pandemic: 3.8±2 vs. post-pandemic: 5.6±2.3, p<0.001), the proportion of patients using routine analgesics (pre-pandemic: 44% vs. post-pandemic: 52%, p=0.008), and the number of routine analgesics (pre-pandemic: 10.4±18.6 vs. post-pandemic: 15.3±24, p<0.001) in the last month was significantly more compared to the pre-pandemic period. There were no significant differences in pain score, patient’s global assessment score, the number of routine analgesics, PSS-14, PSQI, NHP-1, and NHP-2 scores between subjects with and without a history of COVID-19.Conclusions:In patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, an increase in pain severity, analgesic use, and deterioration in general well-being were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pronounced changes were not found to be dependent on the history of COVID-19.