Assessment of neck pain, low back pain and disability in patients isolated at home due to mild-COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: Neck pain (NP), low back pain (LBP) and related disability status in patients with COVID-19 have been not known yet. Therefore, pain and related disability status in patients with mild COVID-19 was investigated in current study. Methods: Patients with mild-COVID-19 (n=45, 40.64±17.18 yr) were included in current study. Pain perception (Numeric Rating Scale) and disability status (Neck Disability Index (NDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) were evaluated remotely on the online forms at pre-COVID-19, isolation, and post-COVID-19 periods between 18 February 2021 and 9 May 2021. Results: NP existed in 9 (20%) patients (resting: 0.96±2.29, activity: 1.02±2.42) at pre-COVID-19, 16 (35.6%) patients (resting: 1.93±3.02, activity: 2.27±3.52) at isolation and 6 (13.3%) patients (resting: 0.62±1.81, activity: 0.87±2.31) at post-COVID-19 periods (p<0.05). LBP existed in 10 (22.2%) patients (resting: 0.69±1.44, activity: 0.84±1.86) at pre-COVID-19, 19 (42.2%) patients (resting: 2.18±2.95, activity: 2.31±3.05) at isolation and 6 (13.3%) patients (resting: 0.53±1.73, activity: 0.71±1.98) at post-COVID-19 periods (p<0.05). COVID-19 had a significant effect on increase in NDI and ODI scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: NP and LBP are caused by pain reported at isolation and post-COVID-19 periods in patients with mild-COVID-19. Even, difference in rate of LBP arises from isolation period. COVID-19 causes increase in both pain perception and disability scores in patients. Considering acute side effects of COVID-19 on pain perception and disability during daily living activities, therapeutic approaches (exercise, positioning, etc.) other than only advice of resting at home should be urgently offered to patients according to needs of patients with mild-COVID-19 during home quarantine.

Keywords

• SARS-CoV-2
• COVID-19
• low back pain
• musculoskeletal pain
• neck pain
• pain.

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