Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Fibromyalgia Patients

Kars State Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Low-back Pain; Fibromyalgia

Treatments: Other: The drugs used before and during the pandemic, the patient's job status, physical activity conditions, pain status; Other: Perceived stress scale; Other: Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04730934

2020/43-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, the effects of the symptoms related to the diseases of patients with fibromyalgia during the COVID-19 pandemic, their limitations in their social and business life, the need for different drugs, stress levels and the effect of the pandemic on the disease activity will be evaluated.

Full description

Psychological stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to the severity and duration of physical pain. However, when added to the economic stress due to social isolation, pain may worsen in patients with chronic pain, especially fibromyalgia, prone to anxiety and depression. Due to the fact that many occupational sectors, which concern the whole society, have come to a halt, being obliged to live a sedentary life due to inability to perform their profession may have caused an increase in the body mass index of people. During the pandemic days, our concentration and health services may have shifted from the diseases of our branch to COVID-19 and the branch health services offered may be disrupted. However, the call of the country administrators to stay home and the concept of social isolation caused the routine outpatient clinic follow-ups to be delayed. Lack of sufficient data on how fibromyalgia patients were affected in previous pandemics and the pandemic we are in, the disease levels of the patients in this period, restrictions in their social environment, difficulties in reaching the doctor may have exacerbated the course of the diseases. In this study, the effects of the symptoms related to the diseases of patients with fibromyalgia during the COVID-19 pandemic, their limitations in their social and business life, the need for different drugs, stress levels and the effect of the pandemic on the disease activity will be evaluated. The data to be obtained can be a guiding resource for us in the ongoing pandemic and in the fight against future pandemics due to the mutated genetic structure of the virus.

Enrollment: 1,360 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients aged between 18 and 65 years
• patients who have low back pain lasting at least 3 months and started before pandemic
• patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia for at least 6 months

Exclusion criteria

• patients diagnosed with major depression
• patients who have a history of back surgery, fracture, infection, spinal stenosis
• patients with malignancy

Trial design

1,360 participants in 3 patient groups

Healthy population

Description:

Healthy individuals aged between 18-65

Treatment:

Other: Perceived stress scale

Other: The drugs used before and during the pandemic, the patient's job status, physical activity conditions, pain status

Chronic Low Back Pain Group

Description:

Patients aged between 18 and 65 and has at least 3 months of low back pain which started before pandemic.

Treatment:

Other: Perceived stress scale

Other: The drugs used before and during the pandemic, the patient's job status, physical activity conditions, pain status

Fibromyalgia Group

Description:

Patients aged between 18 and 65 and has a diagnosis of fibromyalgia for at least 6 months

Treatment:

Other: Perceived stress scale

Other: Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire

Other: The drugs used before and during the pandemic, the patient's job status, physical activity conditions, pain status