Comparison of Musculoskeletal Pain Among Faculty Members at Iranian Medical Universities Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The multitude of responsibilities faced by faculty members, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, may potentially lead to musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and compare musculoskeletal pain among faculty members of medical universities before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 professors from April 2021 to April 2022. Data were collected using a numerical scale and a checklist of musculoskeletal pain before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study results showed that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 7.84% of the professors experienced musculoskeletal pain in at least one part of their bodies, and before the pandemic, 6.59% and 5.6% of individuals had experienced pain in two or three regions of the musculoskeletal areas, respectively. However, a noteworthy point was that after the pandemic, individuals had more pain in four regions. The findings indicated a significant increase in the intensity of lower back pain, hip pain, and pain in the neck, shoulder, and nose and its blade, as well as the frequency of wrist, knee, and jaw pain after the pandemic (P<0.001). The study results indicate an increase in the intensity and frequency of musculoskeletal pain when comparing before and after the COVID-19 pandemic among professors in medical universities nationwide.