Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/fRevpx6l9UQ   In the search for pain control in light of the current opioid epidemic, you need look no further than your significant other.  A small study just published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain shows that even the passive presence of your partner will help you better cope with pain.   The researchers studied 48 heterosexual couples and assessed the response of each partner to a painful pressure stimulus when alone or in the presence of the other.  The data reveals that both men and women demonstrated higher pain thresholds, better pain tolerance, and lower pain perception when in the presence of their partners than when alone.  This was true even in the absence of physical contact or verbal communication.   The next time you’re about to reach for that Tylenol, Advil, or aspirin, instead try reaching for your lover’s hand.   Stefan Duschek, Lena Nassauer, Casandra I. Montoro, Angela Bair, Pedro Montoya. Dispositional empathy is associated with experimental pain reduction