Pain relief is possible with a “treatment” that has zero side effects and innumerable benefits for body and soul
There is a completely natural painkiller that, according to research, increases the levels of endorphins that are the body’s natural analgesics.
Researchers at the University of Oxford conducted a series of experiments both in laboratory and clinical trials to investigate the effect that laughter has on people’s ability to endure pain.
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Previous research has already linked frantic laughter to pain relief. Watching comedies, for example, has been shown to reduce the need for heavy opioid painkillers in inpatients. It was not clear, however, whether the laughter itself or the generally positive mood of the patient was the explanation for the pain relief.
In the experiment conducted by the researchers, it was found that shaky laughter seems to strengthen the body’s resistance to pain.
The researchers found that participants who had previously watched hilarious videos were 10% more likely to endure painful stimuli (such as placing an ice pack on their arm) compared to those who had watched 15 boring videos of golf before undergoing pain tests.
Interestingly, however, not all funny or comedic videos had a pain-relieving effect, except for those that caused tearful laughter, such as Mr Bean. Equally effective, however, in terms of their analgesic action, were the comedies of situations such as Friends, according to the researchers.
The higher the resistance of the participants to the painful stimulus caused by the researchers, the higher the levels of the painkiller endorphins in their body, the researchers estimate.
In addition, laughter works as a painkiller because it uses the same neural circuits that are used to transmit the pain stimulus to the brain.
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Therefore this “interference” works as an instant analgesic.
When it comes to stress, even a momentary burst of laughter – can lower stress hormone levels (eg adrenaline) and relieve tension.