Pain experiences and pain management among patients with different pain locations in a high-density Asian city.

BACKGROUND

The shift in pain experiences and self-administered management after COVID in high-density Asian cities has not yet been sufficiently researched.

METHODS

We included pain locations with ≥100 respondents from a population-based survey of 3,237 community-dwelling patients in Hong Kong. The prevalence of pain experience and self-administered pain management was estimated. Univariate regressions were used to examine differences in the associations between pain and behavior before and after the pandemic.

RESULTS

The highest pain intensity shifted from menstrual/back pain patients to headache/muscle pain patients. Patients with joint/bone, muscle, head, and back pain increasingly stated that they were "highly affected by daily life." Patients with joint, bone, muscle, and head pain had a greater impact on work. The number of patients with joint/bone pain seeking "help" from bone setters decreased. In addition, more patients used pain-related health behaviors after COVID-19; however, they also rated the effectiveness of treatment and health behaviors lower. The shifts in prevalence were not due to an increase in perceived pain intensity after COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Despite the difference in pain location, the pain experience after the pandemic shifted negatively. However, self-administered pain management in community-dwelling patients has shifted to informal ways, with fewer appropriate treatments.