Wednesday, February 9, 2011
From The Telegraph:
Scientists have shown that holding the hand of a loved one can reduce their pain during times of distress.
University of California revealed that, at least for women, the touch or sight of a partner seems to anaesthetise them.
Even a photograph of their loved one is enough to have an effect.
The 25 volunteers were mostly students who had been in a good relationship with their boyfriends for at least six months.
Tests revealed that if the young women were given a mild burn, they felt less discomfort by looking at photos of their boyfriends.
A similar anaesthetising effect was found if they held hands with their partners when "moderately painful heat stimuli" was applied to their forearms.
Read more here.