ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An increase in the workload and use of personal protective equipment by healthcare workers was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the connections between craniocervical structures, symptoms such as neck pain and temporomandibular symptoms could be influenced by the use of PPE. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of craniocervical pain, sleep quality, physical activity, and depressive symptoms and relationship among craniocervical symptoms in healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare workers. SETTINGS: An online questionnaire included a self-report of craniocervical pain intensity [orofacial pain, neck pain, and headache (Numerical Rating Scale)], sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire two items) and physical activity (self-report). METHODS: The sample analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, the paired t-test was used to compare symptoms intensity before and during the pandemic. The relationship between dependent and independent samples was assessed through McNemar test, Pearson's chi-squared test, and Student's independent t-test. A value of p < .05 was adopted as statistical significance. RESULTS: Overall, 147 participants replied the questionnaires. Headache, neck pain, and orofacial pain complaints increased during the pandemic in healthcare workers (p < 0.001). Craniocervical pain was correlated with poor sleep quality, probable depression, and physical activity during the pandemic (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Healthcare workers self-reported more craniocervical pain during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. In addition, poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity were associated with craniocervical symptoms during this period.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Depression , Exercise , Health Personnel , Neck Pain , Sleep Quality , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/psychology , Male , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Health Personnel/psychology , Brazil/epidemiology , Adult , Depression/epidemiology , Depression/psychology , Neck Pain/epidemiology , Neck Pain/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Exercise/psychology , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Headache/epidemiology , Headache/psychology , Self Report , SARS-CoV-2 , Personal Protective Equipment/statistics & numerical data , PrevalenceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate neck pain, disability, and deep neck flexor (DNF) performance of individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). METHODS: Eighty individuals were divided into the following: arthrogenic TMD (n = 40), myogenic TMD (n = 12), and mixed TMD (n = 28). Neck pain intensity, neck disability, and DNF performance were evaluated. RESULTS: Individuals with arthrogenic TMD reported lower intensity of neck pain when compared to mixed TMD (p = 0.01). Individuals with arthrogenic TMD had less neck disability than individuals with myogenic TMD (p = 0.037) and mixed TMD (p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation was found between neck pain and neck disability (p < 0.001). No differences were found for DNF performance. CONCLUSION: Neck pain and disability differs according to subtype of TMD, but performance of the deep neck flexors does not. Neck pain intensity and neck disability were correlated in patients with TMD.
