Post COVID-19 Status of Low Back Pain: An Observational Study

Shamima  Nasrin; Md. Mursalinur  Rahman; Afsana  Ferdousy; Md Mostafa  Kamal; Mohammad Shafiqul  Islam; Dilip Kumar  Bhowmick; Md. Mustafa  Kamal; A K M  Akhtaruzzaman

doi:10.62848/bjpain.v4i1.6954

Authors

Shamima Nasrin Resident, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka.
Md. Mursalinur Rahman Resident, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka.
Afsana Ferdousy Resident, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka.
Md Mostafa Kamal Anaesthesiologist, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4665-1904
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3443-7828
Dilip Kumar Bhowmick Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8258-5000
Md. Mustafa Kamal Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka. https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6392-2213
A K M Akhtaruzzaman Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2427-1863

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62848/bjpain.v4i1.6954

Keywords:

COVID-19, VAS Score, PCFS Score, HADS score, Anxiety, Depression

Abstract

Background: Low back pain in COVID-19 occurs mainly due to muscle pain, neuropathic pain, and joint pain, mainly facet joints. Neuropathic pain occurs when COVID-19 affects the central nervous system. Neurogenic invasion is the commonest cause. Viral infection can injure the peripheral nervous system by directly affecting the microbes and secondary immune over activation. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of changes related to pain and functional limitations in patients with low back pain who became infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Methods: This is an observational study that was carried out in the pain clinic, Department of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Intensive Care Medicine, BMU. Each patient was asked for changes involving low back pain intensity using the visual analogue scale (VAS), which measures pain intensity before and after COVID-19, functional limitations that occur after COVID-19 using the post-COVID-19 functional status scale (PCFS), and anxiety and depression after COVID-19, by using the hospital acquired anxiety and depression scale (HADS). The response was documented in a data sheet and statistical analysis was carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for Windows.
Results: Out of 96 patients initially experiencing mild pain before COVID-19 infection, 39 cases (70.9%) transitioned to moderate pain, while 16 cases (29.1%) deteriorated to severe pain post COVID-19 infection. Among the total 41 cases initially experiencing moderate pain before COVID-19 infection, 13 (31.7%) remain moderate, while 28 (68.3%) cases deteriorated to severe pain after COVID-19 infection. This association was not statistically significant (p > 0.711). The association of VAS score with PCFS score of patients was found to be statistically significant, (p value 0.001). The association of VAS score with HADS score of patients was also observed. The p value of HADS-D is 0.176 and HADS-A is 0.039.
Conclusion: The present study revealed increased pain intensity and limited functional status after COVID-19 infection.