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Does COVID-19 Related Lockdown Restrictions Impact People With Musculoskeletal Disorders? A Systematic Review
Francis Fatoye1,2, Clara Fatoye3, Joyceline Lawoe4
1Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Insights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns worsened pain, injuries, and mental health for people with musculoskeletal disorders. This review highlights increased healthcare use and decreased quality of life during pandemic restrictions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Rheumatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns posed risks to individuals with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders.
- Physical and psychological disabilities were potential consequences for this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on individuals with MSK disorders.
- To summarize evidence on physical and psychological effects during pandemic-related restrictions.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across six electronic databases up to June 10, 2024.
- Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed for study selection and appraisal.
- Narrative synthesis was used to summarize data from 15 included studies, with quality assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Main Results:
- Fifteen studies involving 40 to 1800 participants were analyzed.
- Musculoskeletal disorder patients experienced increased pain, stress, depression, anxiety, and injuries during COVID-19 lockdowns.
- A decrease in quality of life and increased emergency department visits were reported.
Conclusions:
- This review is the first to document the negative effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on MSK patients.
- Findings indicate heightened risks for pain, MSK injuries, and healthcare utilization, alongside reduced quality of life.
- Results can inform future public health policies and management strategies for MSK disorders during pandemics.
Background:
As a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related lockdown restrictions, people with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders could be at increased risk of physical and psychological disabilities. This review aimed to summarise the impact of COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions on people with MSK disorders.
Methods:
Six electronic databases were searched for studies in the English language published until June 10, 2024. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research. Two reviewers independently abstracted data from the included studies. Data were summarised using narrative synthesis, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessment.
Results:
The search strategy identified 637 articles, 129 of which were removed as duplicates. Fifteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were analysed. The sample size the studies reviewed ranged from 40 to 1800. Having MSK disorders during COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions led to increased risk of pain, stress, depression, anxiety, MSK related injuries, decreased quality of life and increased use of emergency department.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to report that COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions led to increased risk of pain, MSK injuries and healthcare resource utilisation as well as decreased quality of life among patients with MSK disorders. These results may help inform policy and management strategies in future for people with MSK disorders to mitigate the negative impact of pandemic.
