Not a Painless Condition: Rheumatological and Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Type 2 Diabetes, and the Implications for Exercise Participation

Prevalence and Risk Factors of De Novo Widespread Post-COVID Pain in Nonhospitalized COVID-19 Survivors: A Nationwide Exploratory Population-Based Survey

This survey investigated the prevalence of de novo widespread musculoskeletal post-COVID pain and risk factors for its development in nonhospitalized COVID-19 survivors. A nationwide exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted, including a cohort of 593,741 Danish residents who had suffered from a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection from March 2020 to December 2021. A questionnaire was distributed to the Danish population via the digital mail system (e-Boks). Self-reported demographic data, previous medical comorbidities (diagnosed), socioeconomic data, time of infection, prior chronic pain conditions (diagnosed), development of de novo widespread pain after infection, pain medication, and pain intensity information were collected. Responders consisted of 130,443 nonhospitalized participants (58.2% women; mean age: 50.2 years). At a mean of 14.4 (standard deviation 6.0) months after infection, 6,875 (5.3%) patients reported the presence of de novo widespread musculoskeletal post-COVID pain. Almost 75% of the patients reported a moderate to severe intensity of the pain. In conclusion, de novo widespread post-COVID pain was present in 5.3% of nonhospitalized COVID-19 survivors 1 year after infection (14.4 ± 6.0 months). Older age, female sex, higher BMI, and history of migraine, whiplash, stress, type-2 diabetes, neurological disorders, and lower socioeconomic status were risk factors associated with the development of de novo widespread post-COVID pain in nonhospitalized patients. As de novo widespread pain is considered a sign of sensitization, this group will require specialized pain management attention. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents de novo widespread post-COVID pain prevalence in a cohort of 130,443 citizens infected with COVID-19. The study identifies potential risk factors associated with the development of these new pain symptoms. The results may increase focus on this patient group and potentially help identify predictors for postinfection pain development.

High-intensity interval training for chronic pain conditions: a narrative review

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists past the normal healing time. Physical activity and exercise programs are increasingly being promoted and used for a variety of chronic pain conditions. Evidence suggests that physical exercise is an intervention with few adverse events that may improve pain severity and physical function, thus improving the quality of life. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve physical outcome measures and to decrease disorder-related disability in people with chronic disorders. Since an overview of the benefits of HIIT on chronic pain conditions has not been published yet, this review aims to report the effects of HIIT alone or in combination with other forms of training on different kind of chronic pain conditions. A search in the main scientific electronic databases was performed. The results of the studies included in this review showed that HIIT is beneficial for several chronic pain conditions, improving pain and physical function. Since HIIT could represent a valid help to conventional drug therapies, it could improve the quality of life of these subjects. The actual quality of evidence remains very low, and further high evidence studies are needed to confirm the promising outcomes reported in this review.

Exercise and Neuropathic Pain: A General Overview of Preclinical and Clinical Research

Neuropathic pain is a disease of the somatosensory system that is characterized by tingling, burning, and/or shooting pain. Medication is often the primary treatment, but it can be costly, thus there is an interest in understanding alternative low-cost treatments such as exercise. The following review includes an overview of the preclinical and clinical literature examining the influence of exercise on neuropathic pain. Preclinical studies support the hypothesis that exercise reduces hyperalgesia and allodynia in animal models of neuropathic pain. In human research, observational studies suggest that those who are more physically active have lower risk of developing neuropathic pain compared to those who are less active. Exercise studies suggest aerobic exercise training (e.g., 16 weeks); a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise training (e.g., 10–12 weeks); or high-intensity interval training (e.g., 15 weeks) reduces aspects of neuropathic pain such as worst pain over the past month, pain over the past 24 h, pain scores, or pain interference. However, not all measures of pain improve following exercise training (e.g., current pain, heat pain threshold). Potential mechanisms and future directions are also discussed to aid in the goal of understanding the role of exercise in the management of neuropathic pain. Future research using standardized methods to further understanding of the dose of exercise needed to manage neuropathic pain is warranted.

Feasibility of Using Mobile Technology to Improve Physical Activity Among People Living with Diabetes in Asia

Background: Chronic conditions such as diabetes (DM) and cardiovascular disease are associated with disability and poor quality of life. Asians are 30% more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to develop type 2 DM. The important roles of wearable technological applications or devices in maintaining individuals' motivation to attain their physical activity (PA) goal have been reported. However, evidence of the feasibility and impact of the mobile technology on the PA in Thailand is limited. This study aims to examine the feasibility and the impact of the immediate performance feedback feature of the wearable device on PA. Methods: This pilot study recruited persons aged 18 or older with diabetes from two diabetes clinics in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: the aware group (AW: can see the step count on the device screen), the unaware group (UW: the device screen was completely covered), and the control group (usual care). Participants in the AW and UW groups were asked to wear the device for 2 full days while the usual care group did not wear the device. All participants completed a questionnaire package at their first study visit. Data analysis of univariate and multivariate general linear models were conducted using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). All significance levels were set at 5%. Results: One hundred and fourteen participants age ranged from 39 to 75 years old were included in this analysis. The majority were female (n = 86, 69%) and married (n = 103, 82%). No adverse events were reported among device users. Within 2 days, there were less than 10% missing data and more than 70% of participants liked the devices mainly because they could see the step count. More than 63% of participants who wore the device had an average of steps greater than 10,000 per day. Although the number of steps and sleep hours were not significantly different between the AW and UW groups, 68% of the AW participants found that the device help them with their exercise. Discussion: The results demonstrate the feasibility of the use of the wearable device among people living with chronic conditions. Participants found that the step count screen provided immediate physical performance feedback that was helpful with their exercise. The behavioral changes, however, could not be examined due to the short duration of the usage. Future studies that require longer device usage in larger sample sizes are needed.