Abstract
Objective:to describe the perception of musculoskeletal pain in the population and how the state of confinement (adopted as a measure to control contagion by COVID-19) has interfered with it, as well as identifying the sociodemographic, occupational, physical, and psychosocial factors involved.Method:an observational, cross-sectional and analytical study, with simple random probabilistic sampling, aimed at residents in Spain over 18 years old during the confinement period. An ad hoc survey was conducted, consisting in 59 items.Results:a total of 3,247 surveys were answered. Persistent musculoskeletal pain or significant episodes thereof increased 22.2% during confinement. The main location was the spine (49.5%). The related factors were decreased physical activity, increased seated position, and use of electronic devices. The psychological impact of confinement was also related to the perception of musculoskeletal pain.Conclusion:the state of confinement causes an increase in the perception of musculoskeletal pain. The identification of a particularly sensitive population profile, as well as that of the related factors, allows establishing multidisciplinary approaches in health promotion.
Highlights
Musculoskeletal pain has a high prevalence in the population and some of its manifestations such as low back pain or neck pain are among the main causes of disability worldwide[1,2,3]
The results obtained in relation to the main location of musculoskeletal pain converge with the epidemiological data published to date, which place low back pain and neck pain among the ten disorders with the highest incidence in the world population[30]
The present study provides new evidence on the high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the healthy population, as well as its complex multi-factoriality
Summary
Musculoskeletal pain has a high prevalence in the population and some of its manifestations such as low back pain or neck pain are among the main causes of disability worldwide[1,2,3]. Its prevention and treatment constitute an important social and health challenge due to the deterioration that it generates in quality of life, the labor costs that it causes, and the health care required by people who suffer from it[4,5]. Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. In musculoskeletal pain there are multiple elements that can be involved, from damage in tissues of the locomotor system that triggers nociceptive pain, to others of a neuropathic or psychosocial nature. The latter influence the perception and experience of pain. Chronification of the painful experience can lead to central sensitization and allodynia[8]
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