A Brief Survey of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on the Chronic Pain Experience.
David K Chatkoff, Michelle T Leonard, Roukaya R Najdi and 4 others
PMID 34772607WHAT IT FOUND
62.4% of chronic pain patients reported more average pain, 70.0% less activity, 63.2% worse mood; women reported larger increases.
Lower perceived control over pain was linked to worsening pain and mood.
Key findings
0162.4% reported a little or notably more average pain since the pandemic, and 33.3% reported a little or notably more pain medication use.
0270.0% reported a little or notably less physical activity since the pandemic, and 51.5% reported pandemic-related difficulties in mobility and activity.
03Lower perceived control over pain was associated with increases in average pain, negative mood, worry about pain, treatment delay, and decreased physical activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It was a self-report survey, so it cannot show that the pandemic caused these changes or that any treatment would help. The survey was not validated, and many items were modified or newly created. Participants were recruited through CloudResearch, which may bias the sample and limit demographic variability. The sample was mostly White and female, and headache and cancer pain were excluded, so findings may not apply to more diverse pain groups. No data were collected on whether participants or their loved ones had COVID-19, which could affect responses. The clinical suggestions about home-based activity, psychoeducation, and cognitive control were not tested in this study.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that the pandemic caused worsening pain or that home-based exercise or cognitive control interventions will improve outcomes. This was a cross-sectional self-report survey without a tested intervention.