Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39100135›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain research2024

Clinical Characterization of New-Onset Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Omar Khoja, Bárbara Silva-Passadouro, Elena Cristescu, Katie McEwan, Derek Doherty, Fiona O'Connell, Frederique Ponchel, Matthew Mulvey, Sarah Astill, Ai Lyn Tan and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Lived Experiences of New-Onset Long Covid Pain and Its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life. A Scoping Review of Current Evidence.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Omar KhojaLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3978-6253
Bárbara Silva-PassadouroLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4668-093X
Elena CristescuLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Katie McEwanCOVID Rehabilitation Service, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Derek DohertySchool of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Fiona O'ConnellDepartment of Surgery, Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Frederique PonchelLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Matthew MulveyAcademic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6357-3848
Sarah AstillSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9443-6934
Ai Lyn TanLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9158-7243
Manoj SivanLeeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0334-2968

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: New-onset chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is one of the common persistent symptoms in Long COVID (LC). This study investigated its clinical characteristics, underlying mechanisms, and impact on function, psychological health, and quality of life. Patients and Methods: Thirty adults (19 female, 11 male) with LC and new-onset chronic MSK pain underwent clinical examination, Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST), and blood tests for inflammatory markers and completed the following outcome measures: Timed Up and Go test (TUG), handgrip strength test, COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-sf), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and EuroQol Five Dimensions health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). Results: New-onset chronic MSK pain was widespread and continuous in nature, and worse in the joints. When compared to normative values reported in the literature: a) QST revealed mechanical hyperalgesia, heightened temporal summation of pain, and hypoesthesia to vibration stimuli, which is strongly suggestive of central sensitization; b) Plasma cytokine assays indicated distinct pro-inflammatory profiles; c) TUG time indicated reduced balance and mobility; d) handgrip strength revealed general weakness; e) physical activity was lower; and f) there were moderate levels of depression and anxiety with lower self-efficacy scores and lower levels of pain catastrophizing. LC symptoms were of moderate severity (44.8/100), moderate functional disability (22.8/50) and severely compromised overall health (2.6/10) when compared to pre-COVID scores. Conclusion: New-onset chronic MSK pain in LC tends to be widespread, constant, and associated with weakness, reduced function, depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. There is associated central sensitization and proinflammatory state in the condition. Further research is essential to explore the longitudinal progression and natural evolution of the new-onset chronic MSK pain in LC.

Indexed as

chronic widespread painpost-acute sequelae of COVID-19post-COVID-19 conditionpost-COVID-19 syndrome

Identifiers

PMID39100135
PMCPMC11298172

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.