Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Its Associated Factors among Post-COVID-19 Patients Attended In a Rehabilitation Centre

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is a pandemic disease affecting a huge number of people around the world. Among the survivors of COVID-19 complains of exacerbated musculoskeletal symptoms especially for those who had pre-existing problems.
 Aim: This study aims to find out the different types of musculoskeletal symptoms felt by post-covid-19 survivors and explore the association among those symptoms and associated factors.
 Methods: A descriptive type of cross-sectional study of 90 participants was conducted. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected from participants through a structured questionnaire using face to face interview.
 Results: Among the 90 participants 63 were male and 27 were female with a mean age of 45.43 years. 80 participants were from the urban area. In the location of pain status, 25 complained of pain in the head and neck, 12 in the upper limb, 31 in the lower limb, and 22 in the back. Besides, 80 complained of global weakness and 10 did not have it. A significant association was found between the age of the participants and severity of COVID (p<0.002), duration and severity of pain after COVID (p<0.003), smoking and global weakness after COVID (p<0.006), general health and severity of COVID (p<0.010), general health and severity of weakness (p< 0.02), general health and severity of pain (p< 0.05), exercise before COVID and severity of COVID (p< 0.001), exercise recovery from active COVID and severity of weakness (p< 0.04).
 Conclusion: Musculoskeletal symptoms are features of post-COVID-19 survivors. This study found a significant association between different factors which would be helpful in the future for conduction empirical research.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and related factors in postacute COVID‐19 patients

“…Only a limited number of studies could be found evaluating the musculoskeletal features of post‐COVID‐19 patients. A rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh reported that the frequency of head and neck pain was 27%, pain in the lower limb 34%, back pain 24% and pain in the upper limb 13% in 90 post‐COVID‐19 patients 5 . In our study, the most common region of pain was the back (30%) and back pain was also the most frequent symptom on admission to the PMR outpatient clinic.…”

“…A rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh reported that the frequency of head and neck pain was 27%, pain in the lower limb 34%, back pain 24% and pain in the upper limb 13% in 90 post‐COVID‐19 patients. 5 In our study, the most common region of pain was the back (30%) and back pain was also the most frequent symptom on admission to the PMR outpatient clinic. Furthermore, back pain in acute COVID‐19 was found to be related to postacute COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms.…”

“…12 Not only lower lymphocyte levels but also elevated levels of d-dimer are related to poor outcomes 13 and this elevation may be related to this coagulopathy patients. 5 In our study, the most common region of pain was the back (30%) and back pain was also the most frequent symptom on admission to the PMR outpatient clinic. Furthermore, back pain in acute COVID-19 was found to be related to postacute COVID-19 musculoskeletal symptoms.…”

“…These studies examined the most frequent symptoms. For example, Karaarslan et al 4 reported the most frequent musculoskeletal symptoms as “fatigue and back pain”, while Numan et al 5 reported the most common symptom to be “pain in the lower limb”. These results are conflicting, and the relationship between prognostic factors, such as laboratory and chest computed tomography (CT), and postacute COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms has not yet been investigated to the best of our knowledge.…”

“…1 Recently, many papers have been published about the symptoms of postacute COVID-19 patients. [2][3][4][5] However, there are only a few studies investigating the effect of postacute COVID-19 on the musculoskeletal system. These studies examined the most frequent symptoms.…”