Exploring the trajectory curve of long-term musculoskeletal post-COVID pain symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: a multicenter study

Cesar Fernandez-de-Las-Penas, Ignacio Cancela-Cilleruelo, Paloma Moro-Lopez-Menchero, Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez, Oscar J Pellicer-Valero, Jose D Martin-Guerrero, Lars Arendt-Nielsen

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Abstract

This multicenter cohort study investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain during the first year after the infection with mosaic plots and an exponential bar plot model and its associated risk factors. Patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 in 5 hospitals of Madrid (Spain) were scheduled for a telephone interview at 2 follow-up periods after hospitalization for collecting data about musculoskeletal post-COVID pain. Hospitalization and clinical data were collected from hospital medical records. From 2000 patients initially recruited, 1593 (44.6% women, age: 61 +/- 15 years) were assessed at T0 (hospital admission), T1 (mean: 8.0 +/- 1.5 months after discharge), and T2 (mean: 13.2 +/- 1.5 months after discharge). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (myalgia) was 30.3% (n = 483) at T0, increased to 43.4% (n = 692) at T1, and decreased to 37.8% (n = 603) at T2. The trajectory curve revealed a decreasing prevalence trend of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain the following years after hospitalization. According to the presence of pre-existing pain symptoms, the prevalence of new-onset post-COVID pain was 75.9%. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.593, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.148-2.211), history of musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.591, 95% CI 1.211-2.07), the presence of myalgia (OR 1.371, 95% CI 1.032-1.821) or headache (OR 2.278, 95% CI 1.622-3.199) at hospitalization, the days of hospitalization (OR 1.013, 95% CI 1.000-1.025), and the presence of post-COVID pain at T1 (OR 11.02, 95% CI 8.493-14.305) were factors associated with musculoskeletal post-COVID pain 1 year after hospitalization. In conclusion, musculoskeletal post-COVID pain remains highly prevalent 1 year after hospitalization. Female sex, previous history of pain symptoms, pain symptoms at onset, and days at hospital were factors associated with musculoskeletal post-COVID pain 1 year after hospitalization.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPain
Volume164
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)413-420
Number of pages8
ISSN0304-3959
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2023

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2022 International Association for the Study of Pain.

Keywords

  • Aged
  • COVID-19/epidemiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Musculoskeletal Pain/epidemiology
  • Myalgia
  • Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  • Survivors
  • Post-COVID
  • Prevalence
  • Risk factors
  • COVID-19
  • Musculoskeletal pain

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