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silverweb

(16,402 posts)
Fri May 18, 2012, 05:24 PM May 2012

Thinking about "something else" blocks pain signals.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Interesting stuff. I remember my mother saying, "Just think about something else," if I complained about any sort of minor pain when I was growing up. As it turns out, there's scientific evidence that the technique actually works. This would also help explain how yogis can perform feats of endurance.

[font color=black]Unhurtful Thoughts: A Preoccupied Brain Produces Pain-Killing Compounds
Spinal scans reveal the mechanism by which intense thinking can block pain receptors in the nervous system

The finding suggests the concentrating brain doesn't just divert attention from the agony, it also triggers a release of opioid-based compounds.

_article_


[font color=navy]Pretty cool.
Headphones for the dental chair, anyone?

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blondie58

(2,570 posts)
2. as does meditation
Fri May 18, 2012, 05:57 PM
May 2012

I am in a clinical trial for a drug where I receive a monthly injection. It must be released slowly and it really hurts. I tried last month (I am new to meditation) and it really helped.

kickysnana

(3,908 posts)
3. Only to a point. Ongoing strong or cycling pain eventaually makes thinking impossible
Fri May 18, 2012, 06:03 PM
May 2012

and sleeping, and then eating.

la la

(1,855 posts)
4. i actually do this at the dentist!
Fri May 18, 2012, 06:44 PM
May 2012

i 'take myself away' and the pain doesn't seem to affect me as much---since i'm old and have lots of pains---i try it at other times, as well...seems to work for me most of the time.

 

Scuba

(53,475 posts)
5. I try to think about puppies rolling in the grass, and rubbing their bellies....
Fri May 18, 2012, 07:23 PM
May 2012

... I always feel better when I think of this.

Chemisse

(30,793 posts)
7. So interesting there are actually chemicals produced.
Fri May 18, 2012, 10:40 PM
May 2012

I always thought it was just due to distraction or selective attention.

silverweb

(16,402 posts)
8. Exactly the point I found so interesting.
Sat May 19, 2012, 12:15 AM
May 2012

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]The act of concentrating (or meditating, as has also been said here) does, in itself, release opioid compounds that block pain signals.

In this case, "mind over matter" is a physical, measurable, provable reality.

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)
9. Ah, the placebo effect is noted: Thus, do not waste your money on ...
Sat May 19, 2012, 11:05 PM
May 2012

acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopaths, chiropractors, reiki or any other placebo woo.

Save your money, and think about something else. It's the same durned thing.

Basically.

unc70

(6,094 posts)
10. One trick is to "redirect" the pain
Mon May 21, 2012, 11:24 AM
May 2012

For example, if pain were in your right arm, try to think of it being somewhere else, maybe your left foot. Once you've done that misdirection, you can gradually "notice" the pain being gone from your left foot without letting it return to your right arm.

I have a rebuilt leg and hip with lots of screws. There is always some pain there. I manage it almost entirely with this technique, plus a little peaceful-place meditation and a couple of aspirin a week. If I let myself, I can always feel 4-5 screws plus the two really large ones.

hedgehog

(36,286 posts)
11. It works to some extent - but it can backfire.
Mon May 21, 2012, 07:40 PM
May 2012

If I pay attention, I can stop a migraine dead n its tracks with some ibuprofen and caffeine. If I ignore it, at a certain point the pain can become incapacitation. I've been in other situations where I put up with pain to the point of slipping into shock!

By the same token - My doctor saw something on my last check-up and ordered a round of blood tests. I came up positive for some sort of autoimmune disease. I suspect I've been putting up with a lot for maybe a year, but it's only now that I know something's wrong that I'm noticing the aches and pains!

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