No pain, No gain

Because our group's research proposal includes the affect of a person as one important factor, I would like to delve more into it as I write this entry. Moods are more powerful than we think. It can be the thin line between the less and more pain that we feel and many other things. 

If you plan to have yourself vaccinated or go to the dentist for a quick fix, it is better that you be in a neutral mood rather than in a negative one.  A recent study made by a Canadian researcher claimed that drilling, prodding and picking will seem to hurt less if the patient is in a more relaxed mood. The research was conducted by Canadian dentistry students to learn how emotions modulate the pain experience.

In the study, the researchers asked the participants to put one hand in hot water, about 113-122 degrees Fahrenheit (the temperatures were individually adjusted so each person could tolerate the water without too much pain). Then hypnosis was carried out to the participants to induce either negative, positive or neutral feelings with statements like “You feel angry” or “You want to escape, but cannot”. As the hands were immersed in hot water, the participants were asked to rate the pain they felt and to report how unpleasant it was.

Although a previous study conducted at soldiers at war claimed an opposite result that fear and anger minimized the pain they felt in the field, this study found that negative emotion states make pain feel worse.  The more susceptible participants were to hypnosis, the stronger emotions they felt and the more emotions influence their pain perception, Hunyh Bao noted.

I have always heard of the saying "No pain, no gain". While it is true that we need to experience some pain to see satisfying results in health and even in love, isn't it so much better to feel less pain for the same result? This study is beneficial for doctors and patients alike simply because it would allow for an easier operation with minimal twisting and turning from the patient’s pain. So the next time we feel like going for a procedure or even just a check-up (better to be safe than dead), we should remember how our inner mental state influences the pain that we perceive and it is always better to have a positive one.