Paulose Minimol, Adams Nicholas Norman, Martin Kathryn R, Grant Aileen
School of Health, Ishbel Gordon Building, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
Academic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Science, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Health Expect. 2025 Aug;28(4):e70352. doi: 10.1111/hex.70352.
Long Covid (LC) is a multisystem condition that can cause persistent symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, cognitive problems and pain, with major effects on individuals and healthcare systems. Globally, nearly 400 million people have been affected. New-onset pain is among the most commonly reported symptoms and may develop into chronic pain, contributing to reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and highlighting the need for appropriate care. Given its global prevalence, exploring how people experience new-onset LC pain and how it impacts their lives can help improve pain management and support services.
A mixed-methods scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The review mapped and synthesised evidence from eligible primary research articles (quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods) published in English between December 2019 and June 2024. Seven studies using cross-sectional, case-control and observational designs (n = 30 to 2507 participants) were included, with data collected from Europe and Asia.
While qualitative data on lived experience were limited, 69.5% of LC patients reported new-onset pain, most commonly musculoskeletal (MSK) pain (73.2%). Psychological symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were also reported (38%). Pain medications were widely used. Findings suggest that new-onset LC pain affects physical, psychological and social well-being. No studies involving children or adolescents were identified, indicating a gap in the evidence on paediatric experiences of new-onset LC pain.
This review highlights major gaps in the literature, especially the lack of qualitative research on how people experience new-onset LC pain. Future research should explore these experiences in depth, with involvement from patients and the public, to inform the development of appropriate treatment and support strategies.
During the review process, opportunities to involve PPI were not fully explored due to limited awareness of how to support meaningful involvement in a scoping review, alongside time and resource constraints. Such involvement could have helped shape the review question, refine the search terms and interpret the findings in ways that better reflect lived experience. This is acknowledged as both a limitation and a learning point. PPI will be actively embedded in the next phases of the research.
新冠后遗症（LC）是一种多系统疾病，可导致呼吸急促、疲劳、认知问题和疼痛等持续症状，对个人和医疗系统产生重大影响。全球有近4亿人受到影响。新发疼痛是最常报告的症状之一，可能发展为慢性疼痛，导致健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）下降，凸显了适当护理的必要性。鉴于其全球普遍性，探索人们如何体验新冠后遗症新发疼痛以及它如何影响他们的生活有助于改善疼痛管理和支持服务。
按照乔安娜·布里格斯研究所（JBI）指南和系统评价扩展版范围综述的首选报告项目（PRISMA-ScR）进行了一项混合方法的范围综述。该综述梳理并综合了2019年12月至2024年6月期间以英文发表的符合条件的原始研究文章（定量、定性和混合方法）中的证据。纳入了7项采用横断面、病例对照和观察性设计的研究（n = 30至2507名参与者），数据收集自欧洲和亚洲。
虽然关于实际经历的定性数据有限，但69.5%的新冠后遗症患者报告有新发疼痛，最常见的是肌肉骨骼（MSK）疼痛（73.2%）。还报告了创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）等心理症状（38%）。止痛药物被广泛使用。研究结果表明，新冠后遗症新发疼痛会影响身体、心理和社会幸福感。未发现涉及儿童或青少年的研究，这表明在新冠后遗症新发疼痛的儿科经历方面存在证据空白。
本综述突出了文献中的主要空白，尤其是缺乏关于人们如何体验新冠后遗症新发疼痛的定性研究。未来的研究应在患者和公众的参与下深入探索这些经历，为制定适当的治疗和支持策略提供依据。
在综述过程中，由于对如何支持在范围综述中有意义的参与的认识有限，以及时间和资源限制，没有充分探索让患者和公众参与（PPI）的机会。这种参与本可以帮助确定综述问题、完善检索词并以更好地反映实际经历的方式解释研究结果。这被视为一个局限性和一个经验教训。患者和公众参与将积极融入研究的下一阶段。
