On the entire world, the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted human life and has affected not only physical health, but also psychological well-being, social well-being and interpersonal relationships, as well as intimate, local and global finance. The most unanticipated improvements and problems are faced by the healthcare system, including pain medicine.
Chronic pain has historically been regarded as an elective treatment ailment and during health care crises, epidemics, and pandemics it takes back seat. In addition, in most cases, pain doctors are anesthesiologists who are also specialized staff in intensive care and emergency departments to provide their services.
Naturally, many of these pain management doctors have been redeployed to these health care areas, resulting in a further shortage of pain doctors in an already undermanned specialty. This leads to limited access to pain clinics at all levels, such as government-run primary care centers, tertiary care centers, private nursing homes and corporate hospitals. We need to understand, however, that during this pandemic, chronic pain treatment should not be left behind, since there is a possible elevated risk of chronic pain for individuals affected by COVID-19 as well as for those not affected. There is also an increased risk of under-treatment in patients with chronic pain.
During the time of lockdown, routine medical treatment was disrupted and is likely to be so in subsequent months as well. The causes can be anything like less accessibility to pain clinics, redeployment of pain doctors for COVID-19 treatment, extended waiting period due to the specialists' unavailability, decreased interdisciplinary accessibility, insufficient transport facilities due to lockout, inability to travel for fear of infection exposure, lack of drugs due to logistical problems, etc. Long-term stress due to lockdown and extended pandemic situations, work and income instability, or real loss of income may have a significant effect on psychological wellbeing, and this can be an important cause for chronic pain even in unaffected individuals with COVID-19.
The risk factors for pain and other somatic symptoms also include physical inactivity, time off work, and expectation of chronicity, low socioeconomic status and female sex. The risk of developing chronic pain can be increased by healthcare staff. Due to inadequate sleep, inactivity, anxiety, depression, terror, chronic pain can be aggravated. Psychological stress or organ-specific biological causes, particularly in people with a fragile stress response system, may contribute to chronic pain. Due to the lockout lasting from weeks to months, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a lot of psychological stress, anxiety, depression and physical inactivity in many citizens.
The health system must pay attention to the fact that people with chronic pain typically have a compromised immune system. On top of that, terror, anxiety, depression, inactivity, and poor sleep have been instilled by this pandemic; all of which can further decrease immunity. Therefore, while not confirmed, there is an increased risk of COVID-19 susceptibility among patients with chronic pain. And there is also an increased need to pay due attention to the care of patients with chronic pain.
Myalgia and fatigue are frequently associated with acute viral infection. Regional and common chronic pain may also be caused by various acute infections. Chronic pain, fatigue and memory problems may occur with Post Viral Syndrome. Chronic pain is an aspect of post-viral syndrome or the product of organ damage associated with viruses. The incidence and severity of somatic symptoms during an acute infection is closely associated with the development of chronic fatigue and pain. It has been found that survivors of the SARS epidemic have chronic post-SARS syndrome, including diffuse myalgia, exhaustion, depression, and non-restorative sleep. SARS-CoV (Coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) causing SARS has structural similarity to SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus 2 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) causing COVID-19. Therefore, with COVID-19, long-term seque lae can be close to SARS like post-SARS syndrome.
In general, survivors of the intensive care unit (ICU) are at greater risk of lifelong functional disabilities, chronic pain and psychological stress due to a serious illness. These people also have low quality of life for long durations, such as mobility and self-care problems, pain and discomfort, and comprehension. ICU treatment is required for many patients with moderate to extreme COVID-19 characteristics. In large numbers of patients, serious disease is often accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder. Owing to the worsening of underlying pain or psychological problems, chronic pain can get worse. For pain management doctors see us at Neuroscience Specialist. For more service details, contact us.
**Disclaimer- Information presented here is not intended to be qualified medical advice. Nothing expressed herein creates a doctor-patient relationship.