Eli5 why rubbing my shin after a blunt force trauma (I kicked against the table) reduces the pain sensation significantly?
In: 79
Pain is sensitive to distraction or dilution. Basically you add more sensory input from the same area of the body, and the brain notices the pain less, mixed in with the additional sensations. It’s the same principle with rubbing various lotions on painful areas. They cause the skin near the injury to feel uncomfortable – prickly or hot or cold – plus usually a medication-like odor such as menthol, that further confuses your brain, causing a placebo effect, and the original pain is somewhat blunted by all this extra information.
Latest Answers