Reductions in the Frequency of Going Out Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Negatively Affect Patients with Spinal Disorders

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly changed the lifestyles of individuals due to the need to prevent disease spread. Globally, governments have enforced various policies, including travel bans, quarantine, home confinement, and lockdowns, as safety measures. Consequently, the frequency of individuals going out has decreased. This survey aimed to assess how decreasing the frequency of going out due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacts patients with spinal disorders. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire survey included patients who visited four private spine clinics for any symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-pandemic that assessed the following topics: frequency of leaving home, exercise habits, locomotive syndrome, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Patients were divided into decreased and non-decreased frequency of going out groups, according to observed changes in their frequencies of leaving home. Both groups were statistically compared using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the frequency of going out. Results: Among 855 patients, 160 (18.7%; the decreased group) reported that they went out less frequently, and 695 (81.3%; the non-decreased group) reported that they left home equally frequently post- versus pre-pandemic. Multivariate analyses showed that exercise habits significantly decreased (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.67, p = 0.004), the incidence of locomotive syndrome significantly increased (aOR = 2.86, p = 0.012), and HRQOL significantly deteriorated (aOR = 4.14, p < 0.001) in the decreased group compared to the non-decreased group. Conclusions: Restrictions regarding leaving home due to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased exercise frequency, increased the occurrence of locomotive syndrome, and were associated with deterioration of HRQOL in patients with spine disorders. It may be beneficial for spine surgeons to encourage patients with spinal disorders to leave home at a frequency similar to what they did pre-pandemic while avoiding crowded areas, despite the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.