Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 18, 2026 47 minutes ago
Persistent muscle and joint pain following COVID-19 may develop into a long-lasting condition resembling fibromyalgia, according to new British research. The findings suggest that widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties can persist years after infection.
New research reveals that fibromyalgia-like pain and nerve-related symptoms can persist for years among people
living with Long COVID
Researchers from the University of Leeds, National Technical University of Athens, University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust conducted the investigation.
Fibromyalgia-Like Symptoms Remain Alarmingly Common
The study followed 240 people with Long COVID, assessing symptoms approximately 2.6 years after their illness began and again six and twelve months later.
Among participants, 131 developed chronic musculoskeletal pain after COVID-19, while 94 experienced pain before infection.
At baseline, 78.6% of participants with newly developed pain met symptom-based fibromyalgia criteria, compared with 70.3% of those with pre-existing pain.
Fibromyalgia involves widespread pain accompanied by fatigue, disrupted sleep, and difficulties concentrating or remembering information.
Importantly, questionnaire results indicated fibromyalgia-like symptoms rather than confirmed clinical diagnoses.
Chronic Pain Persists Despite Passing Years
At twelve months, 71.7% of participants with newly developed pain and 67.5% with pre-existing pain continued meeting fibromyalgia symptom criteria.
Among participants completing every assessment, 61% of the new-onset group and 50% of the pre-existing pain group consistently met these criteria throughout follow-up.
Statistical analysis found no significant differences between groups in fibromyalgia-like symptom prevalence.
These findings, highlighted in this Thailand Medical News report, suggest that Long COVID-related pain frequently persists rather than disappearing naturally.
Nerve-Related Pain Adds Another Complication
Researchers also investigated neuropathic pain symptoms, including burning sensations, tingling, and numbness.
Between 22.2% and 36.1% of participants showed features suggesting likely neuropathic pain across assessments.
Those with pre-existing chronic pain had 3.17 times greater odds of falling into higher neuropathic pain likelihood categories than participants developing pain after COVID-19.
However, screening questionnaires cannot establish actual nerve damage.
Implications for Long COVID Treatment
The findings support integrating Long COVID rehabilitation with established chronic pain services, emphasizing individualized assessment, symptom management, and improvements in daily functioning.
Nevertheless, self-reported symptoms, recruitment through support networks, and the absence of clin
ical diagnostic confirmation limit generalizability.
Conclusion
Long COVID-associated chronic pain may remain debilitating for years, frequently resembling fibromyalgia regardless of previous pain history. Further clinical investigations are essential to identify underlying mechanisms, confirm diagnoses, and develop more effective long-term rehabilitation strategies.
The study findings were published in the medRxiv preprint repository and have not yet been peer-reviewed.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.07.26364942v1
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid 
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