Pain Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Main Authors: Salah N. El-Tallawy, Rohit Nalamasu, Joseph V. Pergolizzi, Christopher Gharibo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Adis, Springer Healthcare 2020-08-01
• Series: Pain and Therapy
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic; Interventional pain management; Pain management; Personal protective equipment (PPE); Systemic analgesics; Telemedicine
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-020-00190-4
• ISSN: 2193-8237; 2193-651X

Abstract Chronic pain management during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a challenging process, especially with growing evidence that COVID-19 infection is associated with myalgias, referred pain, and widespread hyperalgesia. In light of the limited data available for COVID-19-related impact on chronic pain patients, this review explores the changes in the healthcare delivery system due to social distancing and safety precautions to provide the appropriate management of chronic pain patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding both the general problems facing chronic pain patients as well as specific problems in the COVID-19 era including deconditioning, increased mental health concerns, financial burdens, and potential for medication-induced immune-suppression is vital in the appropriate management of patients. Telemedicine, the practice of caring for patients remotely when the provider and patient are not physically present with each other, is becoming increasingly used and recognized as a valuable tool to both health care providers and patients. This paper concentrates on the proper utilization of the available resources to help patients with the most severe conditions as well as the most vulnerable group. COVID-19 may be associated with a profound effect on both the health care system and patients with chronic pain. As a result, delaying, or stopping, treatment for chronic pain patients will have negative consequences, and strong pain evaluations must be administered to triage patients appropriately. Recent recommendations for the safe use of non-opioid analgesics, opioid analgesics, and interventional pain management procedures are vital to know and understand specifically during the pandemic era. Further researches are needed to identify the advance planning and rapid responses to reduce the impact of the pandemic.