Insight into pain syndromes in acute phase of mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19: Frequency, clinical characteristics, and associated factors

Abstract

Background Pain has been frequently described as a clinical feature of COVID‐19, and the main pain syndromes that have been associated with the acute phase of this disease so far are headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and neuropathic pain. Understanding the characteristics of pain symptoms is crucial for a better clinical approach. Methods Patients who were diagnosed as having COVID‐19 using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction were included in the study. Patients were asked to complete a 51‐item questionnaire via a phone interview, which included questions on demographics, acute COVID‐19 symptoms, the presence of pain symptoms, and their characteristics in the acute phase of COVID‐19. Results A total of 222 out of 266 patients with COVID‐19 participated in the study, yielding a response rate of 83.5%. A total of 159 patients reported at least one kind of pain syndrome with a prevalence of 71.6%. Myalgia was reported in 110 (49.6%) patients, headache in 109 (49.1%), neuropathic pain symptoms in 55 (24.8%), and polyarthralgia in 30 (13.5%) patients. A total of 66 patients reported only one type of pain, 46 reported two types, 42 reported three types, and five patients reported all four types of pain. Logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant associations between these pain syndromes and a strong association was found between neuropathic pain and headache. Conclusion Pain is a frequently observed symptom of mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19. There are significant relationships between pain syndromes in COVID‐19, which may be due to a sequence of common etiologic factors. Significance This study described the main pain syndromes associated acute phase of mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19 and its associated features. Headaches and pain of neuropathic characteristics were prevalent in this sample.

Prevalence of Neuropathic Component in Post-COVID Pain Symptoms in Previously Hospitalized COVID-19 Survivors

“…The prevalence of neuropathic pain in our sample of COVID-19 survivors (25%) was similar to the rate provided by Oguz-Akarsu et al [ 9 ] by using a telephone interview but self-reported. Current prevalence data of neuropathic symptoms in COVID-19 survivors (25%) is higher than the prevalence of neuropathic symptoms reported by a nationwide study (6.9%) in people with chronic pain [ 19 ], supporting the expected increase in the prevalence of neuropathic pain due to COVID-19 [ 5 ].…”

“…Similarly, McWilliam et al [ 8 ] reported neuropathic pain as a post-COVID sequelae. A cohort study recently reported that almost 25% of patients with post-COVID pain exhibit neuropathic symptoms; however, this study collected self-reported symptoms throughout a telephonic interview [ 9 ].…”

What lies behind and beyond acute COVID‐19 pain?

“…In this issue of the European Journal of Pain you will find the article by Oguz‐Akarsu and collaborators entitled “Insight into Pain Syndromes in Acute Phase of Mild‐to‐Moderate COVID‐19: Frequency, Clinical Characteristics, and Associated Factors” (Oguz‐Akarsu et al, 2021 ). This observational cohort was one of the handful yet to have described in detail the phenomenon of pain during acute COVID‐19 and, to the best of our knowledge, the first to have examined the associations between distinct pain syndromes in such context.…”

The Self-Reported Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) and PainDETECT Questionnaires in COVID-19 Survivors with Post-COVID Pain

“…An increasing number of studies reported the presence of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain in up to 60% of the COVID-19 survivors [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The number of studies investigating the prevalence of neuropathic post-COVID pain is lower in relation to those assessing musculoskeletal post-COVID pain [ 10 , 11 ]. These studies have observed that 20% of individuals with post-COVID pain also exhibit neuropathic pain features [ 10 , 11 ].…”