Eli5: Why does it feel good to apply pressure to an area of the body you banged into the corner of something?

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Whenever I accidentally bump part of my body into the corner of something and it hurts really bad the quickest way to make it feel better is to apply pressure to the area and rub it. Why does this make it feel better?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The gate control theory of pain. There is a gate that allows pain molecules to enter your brain from your nerves. But only so much can get through at one time. When you touch a painful area, some of the touch molecules squeeze through the gate, reducing how many pain molecules can fit through the same gate at the same time. Touch alleviates pain (think of rubbing a sore muscle).

Anonymous 0 Comments

Whenever there’s an emergency(injury), firefighters (blood) are dispatched to contain the damage and head relief efforts as are police and paramedics. However, when they’re dispatched to a narrow, two lane road(capillaries), there’s a traffic jam. When you apply pressure and rub the effected area, it’s like you’re helping the emergency services move better and more organized, fixing the traffic jam.