My back hurts after covid. What to do?

Back pain usually manifests itself in the early stages of COVID-19 development, but it can persist for the entire duration of the disease or even after recovery.

Is back pain a symptom of COVID-19?

According to a review that was published in 2020 [1]: Pain is one of the most common symptoms of COVID 19.

At a doctor’s appointment, patients complain of:

• A headache;
• Body aches;
• Joint and back pain.

Muscle pain is registered in 36% of patients [2]. In a study of 210 people diagnosed with coronavirus infection, more than 46% reported pain as a symptom and 43% reported back pain.

There are other studies that show that back pain is one of the most common symptoms of infection.

Causes of back pain

The main cause of back pain is the body’s immune response to virus entry.

The immune response is the release of cytokines, which, in turn, can stimulate the release of prostaglandin E2 [3], which acts on nerve endings, which explains the appearance of painful sensations.

Other studies show that muscle pain caused by infectious diseases is associated with the activation of a cytokine called interleukin-6.

There is another point of view, it is believed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause tissue damage, which plays a role in the development of pain.

However, a study of patients who had suffered acute respiratory syndrome showed no signs of the virus in the muscle tissue. Therefore, more research is needed to accurately explain the occurrence of back pain.