ArticleFrontiers in medicine2023
"Long COVID-19" and viral "fibromyalgia-ness": Suggesting a mechanistic role for fascial myofibroblasts (Nineveh, the shadow is in the fascia).
Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for fibromyalgia-like syndrome in patients with Long-COVID: a pilot randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Fascia as a Functional System in Health and Disease: From Fundamental Biology to Assessment and Targeted Interventions.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- A systematic scoping review and conceptual analysis of new-onset fibromyalgia manifestations after non-hospitalized COVID-19: empirics, definitions, methodologies, pathophysiology, mapping of literature, and knowledge gaps.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Could persistent extravascular fibrin deposition link microvascular and interstitial pathology in long COVID?Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- The Future of Fascia-A Scoping Review on Emerging Research Trends and Recommended Sample Sizes and Effect Sizes in Fascia Studies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Relationship Between Fatigue, Perceived Social Support and Symptomatology of Long-COVID Patients in Spain.Scandinavian journal of caring sciences · 2025Observational
- Prevalence and Phenotype of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Fibromyalgia: A Retrospective Observational Study at a Single Tertiary Medical Center.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Superficial Neuromodulation in Dysautonomia in Women with Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Pilot Study.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Bio-tensegrity and extracellular matrix disruption in the pathogenesis of persistent post-operative pain: a hypothesis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
- The Intestine in Acute and Long COVID: Pathophysiological Insights and Key Lessons.The Yale journal of biology and medicine · 2024Review
- Invalidated and 'salty': an auto/biographical and theoretical review of the lived experiences of individuals with PoTS.Frontiers in sociology · 2024Article
- Article
- Long COVID, the Brain, Nerves, and Cognitive Function.Neurology international · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic has led to a wave of chronic disease cases; "Long COVID-19" is recognized as a new medical entity and resembles "fibromyalgia" which, likewise, lacks a clear mechanism. Observational studies indicate that up to 30%-40% of convalescent COVID-19 patients develop chronic widespread pain and fatigue and fulfill the 2016 diagnostic criteria for "fibromyalgia." A recent study suggested a theoretical neuro-biomechanical model (coined "Fascial Armoring") to help explain the pathogenesis and cellular pathway of fibromyalgia, pointing toward mechanical abnormalities in connective tissue and fascia, driven by contractile myo/fibroblasts and altered extracellular matrix remodeling with downstream corresponding neurophysiological aberrations. This may help explain several of fibromyalgia's manifestations such as pain, distribution of pain, trigger points/tender spots, hyperalgesia, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular abnormalities, metabolic abnormalities, autonomic abnormalities, small fiber neuropathy, various psychosomatic symptoms, lack of obvious inflammation, and silent imaging investigations. Pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic pathways provide input into this mechanism
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