You might experience back pain after contracting the novel coronavirus, doctors recently told Prevention.com.
What’s going on?
Dr. Marcus Duda, orthopedic surgeon and founder of Vive Wear, recently explained Prevention.com that COVID-19 can cause aches throughout the body, including joint pain, which can lead to pain in the back and legs.
- “COVID-19, like other viruses, will cause systemic symptoms,” he said. “Similar to having the flu, COVID-19 may cause generalized achiness throughout the body.”
- “The joint pain in the back and legs is due to the body’s inflammatory response to the virus,” Duda told Prevention.com. “These viral infections cause shaking, chills, body aches, and difficult mobility.”
Dr. Richard Watkins, infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, told Prevention.com that joint pains are “a result of cells of the immune system releasing interleukins, which are proteins that help in the fight against invading pathogens.”
A real-world example
Ellen DeGeneres said that she suffered from back pain during her experience with COVID-19, according to Vulture.
- “You know how I make you laugh so hard that your ribs hurt? That’s what it was like for me. Now I know how you feel when I make you laugh,” she said, per Vulture.
- She said back pain was “the only symptom” she suffered.
More back pain
According to BBC News, people working from home have suffered from back pain, too, because they’ve been less physically active. Medical professionals suggest finding ways to avoid sitting too long.