Why Self-Induced Pain Feels Less Painful than Externally Generated Pain
Author Information
Author(s): Wang Yan, Wang Jin-Yan, Luo Fei
Primary Institution: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Hypothesis
The mechanical pain generated by active movement can be diminished compared to pain brought about by passive movement.
Conclusion
Active movement inhibits the perception of pain, making self-induced pain feel less intense and unpleasant than externally applied pain.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-induced pain was rated significantly lower than externally applied pain on both intensity and unpleasantness.
- Pain-related brain areas were inhibited during self-generated pain.
- Active movement behaviorally inhibits concomitant mechanical pain.
Takeaway
When you hurt yourself by moving, it doesn't feel as bad as when someone else hurts you because your brain helps block the pain.
Methodology
Subjects experienced mechanical pain or pressure during fMRI scanning while either actively or passively inducing pain.
Limitations
The study focused only on mechanical pain and did not explore other types of pain.
Participant Demographics
Twenty-five healthy right-handed college students (14 male and 11 female, aged 24.3±0.3 years).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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