Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pharmacological, physical, and psychological treatments of pain: findings from the Chronic Pain & COVID-19 Pan-Canadian Study
Open accessAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Multimodal treatment is recognized as the optimal paradigm for the management of chronic pain (CP). Careful balance between pharmacological and physical/psychological approaches is thus desirable but can be easily disrupted. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacological and physical/psychological treatments of CP. METHODS: A Pan-Canadian cross-sectional web-based study was conducted between April 16th and May 31st 2020 among adults living with CP when the country was in the ascending slope of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave. RESULTS: A total of 2864 participants shared their treatment experience (mean age: 49.7 years and women: 83.5%). Among medication users (n = 2533), 38.3% reported changes in their pharmacological pain treatment. The main reasons were as follows: (1) changes in pain symptoms, (2) lack of access to prescribers/cancellation of medical appointments, and (3) increased medication intake in compensation for stopping physical/psychological treatments because of the pandemic. Among participants who used physical/psychological pain management approaches before the pandemic (n = 2467), 68.3% had to modify their treatments or self-management strategies. Common reasons were lack of access to clinics/exercise facilities and the need to compensate for having to stop another type of physical/psychological treatment because of the pandemic-related public health safety measures. CONCLUSIONS: Our study underlines the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to pain relief, which is considered a fundamental human right. Results will help to justify resource allocation and inform the development of interventions to be better prepared for waves to come and future health crises.
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The lack of access to clinics and the health emergency undermined face-to-face treatments.
“The lack of access to clinics and the health emergency undermined face-to-face treatments [2].”
From Behavior Modification Techniques on Patients with Chronic Pain in the Context of COVID-19 Telerehabilitation: An Umbrella Review (2022) · cites this paper as [2]
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“The lack of access to clinics and the health emergency undermined face-to-face treatments [2].”
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- Authors
- Lacasse, A., Pagé, M. G., Dassieu, L., Sourial, N., Janelle-Montcalm, A., Dorais, M., Nguena Nguefack, H. L., Godbout-Parent, M., Hudspith, M., Moor, G., Sutton, K., Thompson, J. M., & Choinière, M.
- Affiliations
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CA)
- Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CA)
- StatSciences Inc., Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, QC, Canada
- Département des Sciences de la Santé, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada
- Pain BC (CA)
- Dalhousie University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Lacasse, Anaïs
- ORCID
- Venue
- PAIN Reports
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e891
- ISSN
- 2471-2531 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7880148
- OpenAlex
- W3130367776
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 13
- FWCI
- 8.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PAIN Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, chronic pain, pain management, pharmacotherapy, physiotherapy, psychological intervention, health care access, treatment interruption, self-management, medication use
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