Evaluation of the physical and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain: A multicenter cross-sectional controlled study

This study aimed to investigate the physical and emotional effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. The cross-sectional controlled study was performed with 1,360 participants (332 males, 1,028 females; mean age: 42.3±12.5 years; range, 18 to 65 years) between September 2020 and February 2021. The participants were evaluated in three groups: the FMS group (n=465), the CLBP group (n=455), and the healthy control group (n=440). Physical activity, pain levels, and general health status before and during the pandemic were evaluated in all participants. Stress levels were analyzed with the perceived stress scale (PSS) in all groups, and disease activity was analyzed with the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) in patients with FMS. Patients with FMS had worsened general health status and pain levels during the pandemic compared to the other groups (p