The Effects Of COVID-19 On Chronic Pain Patients: An Observational Survey Study

Background: The field of chronic pain faces many unique challenges in the ever-changing world that many chronic pain patients found themselves in during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the unpredictable years to come. Well-known now are the impacts of factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), race, and physical activity on COVID-19 outcomes, but what impacts can these very factors have on chronic pain?
Aim: To determine if potential predictors including BMI, ethnicity, covid positivity, use of telemedicine, site of work, increase in narcotic use, exercise level, and education level were associated with worsening of chronic pain in chronic pain patients.
Materials and Methods: This study utilized a questionnaire provided to 261 patients in an outpatient chronic pain clinic. The findings from this questionnaire were incorporated in a univariate and multivariate logistic regression model in order to determine which, if any, potential predictors were associated with worsening of chronic pain.
Results: To understand the joint effects of the above listed predictors, our multivariate analysis suggests that increase in chronic pain is associated with BMI (>30), ethnicity (Caucasians less likely compared to African Americans), exercise frequency (2-4 days/week less likely), increase narcotic use, and Covid-19 positivity.
Conclusions: Our study, the first of its kind, presents finding which suggest that worsening of chronic pain in chronic pain patients is associated with BMI (>30), ethnicity, exercise frequency, increase in narcotic use, and covid positivity.

Keywords:BMI; chronic pain; covid-19; telemedicine; work from home; exercise