In pain? Just swear and you'll feel better. At least according to a new UK study. The study found that swearing appeared to lessen the effects of pain, perhaps because it invokes a similar response as that which occurs in fight or flight when it breaks the link between fear of pain and the perception of pain.
For this study, the researchers investigated the extent to which swearing altered the ability of 64 volunteers to withstand immersing their hand in water (cold-pressor pain tolerance). They also measured pain perception and heart rate. The researchers asked the volunteers to repeat a swear word while they immersed their hand in water. And then they asked them do the experiment again, except this time they repeated a neutral word that described a table.
The research found that compared with not swearing, swearing increased pain tolerance and heart rate, and decreased perception of pain. "What is clear is that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too", the researchers stated, explaining that perhaps this is why the practice of swearing has survived for centuries.
Well, I know some of my partners, some of my legal assistants, and many of my clients' pain must be somewhat reduced based on their language. Keep this article away from your kids-they will use it as a reason to cuss.
If you're in pain because of a car accident, motorcycle accident, workers' compensation injury or other personal injury matter and need to know your rights, click here to contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes. You don't have to swear--I know you are in pain!
