Post-COVID Patients With New-Onset Chronic Pain 2 Years After Infection: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Although pain is common in non-hospitalized post-COVID-19 syndrome, only a few studies have provided information on the pain experience of these patients. Aim: To identify the clinical and psychosocial profile associated with pain in non-hospitalized patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.Method: In this study there were three groups: healthy control group, successfully recovered group, and post-COVID syndrome group. Pain-related clinical profile and pain-related psychosocial variables were collected. Pain-related clinical profile included: pain intensity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory), central sensitization (Central Sensitization Scale), insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index), and pain treatment. Pain-related psychosocial variables were: fear of movement and (re)injury (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia), catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), depression, anxiety and stress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), and fear-avoidance beliefs (Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire).Results: In all, 170 participants were included in the study (healthy control group n = 58, successfully recovered group n = 57, and post-COVID syndrome group n = 55). Post-COVID syndrome group obtained significantly worse punctuation in pain-related clinical profile and psychosocial variables than the other two groups ( p < .05).Conclusions: In conclusion, patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome have experienced high pain intensity and interference, central sensitization, increased insomnia severity, fear of movement, catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, depression, anxiety, and stress.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Pain Management Nursing. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )