Why do we instinctually shake our hands when we hurt them, like when we punch something?
In: Biology
The nerves that detect pressure in your skin/muscles are almost right on top of the nerves that detect pain. Shaking your hand is almost like squeezing your thumb when it gets hurt. The pressure signal somewhat blocks/ drowns out the pain signal.
But I think as others have said, your brain can really only process so much at once, and unconsciously decides what it focuses on. For example, if your brush your tongue most people will feel a gag reflex. But if you do literally anything on top of brushing your tongue, you might notice less of the gag reflex. I heard pinching your arm is enough. I tap my foot to a beat or drum my fingers, but almost anything can have the effect.
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