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Review
. 2023 Aug 22:4:1234099.
doi: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1234099. eCollection 2023.

The impact of COVID-19 on chronic pain

Abraham Lavin  1 , Félix LeBlanc  1 , Antonios El Helou  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

The impact of COVID-19 on chronic pain

Abraham Lavin et al. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). .

Abstract

A reduced quality of life is often a hefty burden that those with chronic pain are left to bear. This review of literature from PubMed, Google Scholar and other relevant studies focuses on the complex relationship between COVID-19 and chronic pain, which is challenging to study during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this review, we will briefly discuss the epidemiologic facts and risk factors, followed by the proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms. Furthermore, we will cover the therapeutic avenues regarding various molecules and their possible interactions, with the most promising being those whose mechanism of action can be directly linked to the pathophysiologic aspects of the condition. Finally, we will describe how to deal with a chronic pain patient who consults during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; chronic pain; pandemic; pathophysiology and mechanism; therapeutic options.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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