Pain experiences and pain management among patients with different pain locations in a high-density Asian city.

Background: The shift in pain experiences and self-administered management after COVID in high-density Asian cities has not yet been sufficiently researched.

Methods: We included pain locations with ≥100 respondents from a population-based survey of 3,237 community-dwelling patients in Hong Kong. The prevalence of pain experience and self-administered pain management was estimated. Univariate regressions were used to examine differences in the associations between pain and behavior before and after the pandemic.

Results: The highest pain intensity shifted from menstrual/back pain patients to headache/muscle pain patients. Patients with joint/bone, muscle, head, and back pain increasingly stated that they were "highly affected by daily life." Patients with joint, bone, muscle, and head pain had a greater impact on work. The number of patients with joint/bone pain seeking "help" from bone setters decreased. In addition, more patients used pain-related health behaviors after COVID-19; however, they also rated the effectiveness of treatment and health behaviors lower. The shifts in prevalence were not due to an increase in perceived pain intensity after COVID-19.

Conclusion: Despite the difference in pain location, the pain experience after the pandemic shifted negatively. However, self-administered pain management in community-dwelling patients has shifted to informal ways, with fewer appropriate treatments.