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.
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.
Other: Perceived stress scale
Perceived stress scale (PSS) : The PSS is a validated 10-item self-report questionnaire which asks individuals to indicate how often they have found their lives unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded in the last month. The higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Other: Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire
Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ): The FIQ is composed of 10 items. The first item contains 11 questions related to physical functioning - each question is rated on a 4 point Likert type scale. Items 2 and 3 ask the patient to mark the number of days they felt well and the number of days they were unable to work (including housework) because of fibromyalgia symptoms. Items 4 through 10 are horizontal linear scales marked in 10 increments on which the patient rates work difficulty, pain, fatigue, morning tiredness, stiffness, anxiety and depression.
Other: The drugs used before and during the pandemic, the patient's job status, physical activity conditions, pain status
Drug using: Antidepressant, SNRI, gabapentin, SSRI, myorelaxan, nsaid, paracetamol, pregabalin, tramadol, food supplement.
Job status: Participants were questioned about their occupational status before and during the pandemic as "I am a housewife", "I quit my job", "I worked from home", "I worked part-time" and "there was no change in my job".
Physical activity: "I do not have physical activity", "I do my daily work at home", "I do daily walks", "I exercise regularly".
Pain status: Participants were questioned that their pain conditions before and during the pandemic were "much worse", "worse", "a little bad", "no change", "a little good", " better", It was questioned as "much better".
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
Çam and Sakura City Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey