“Just a little pinch” – why everything we say about pain is wrong
The fear-pain connection
“You won’t feel a thing!” is only true for some. Many of us are not so lucky. Instead, we seem to feel everything. This can come from physiological differences, and can also be exacerbated by the amount of fear we experience before and during a procedure. Unfairly, if we’re afraid, we can be more likely to feel pain that others do not.
Rest assured you are not being dramatic or a baby if you find that a “painless” procedure actually hurts a great deal. Those who experience it as “painless” are simply fortunate, and probably a bit more relaxed. (And no wonder - it is easier to relax when feeling no pain!)
Being honest about painful procedures actually helps. Lies and omissions do not.
“This might be a bit uncomfortable” – heard that one before? If we believe that we’re not supposed to feel any pain and then we do, we're liable to worry that there is something going wrong with the procedure and that we must be in danger. This amps up fear, which then can amplify our experience of pain, which then terrifies us - in a hellish loop.
Contrastingly, when patients are told honestly that “this part is going to hurt”, we can feel more prepared and in control of the situation. As a result, we can tend to tolerate pain better. We’re not surprized or alarmed by it. People appreciate knowing what to expect. Almost no one enjoys a painful jump scare.
Grimacing is ok – so is cussing
You may have been told to “just relax and breathe,” especially if you twist up your face or utter a few choice words. The truth is, your reaction might be an analgesic. Grimacing helps people express pain, while suppressing this natural reaction may add to our stress. And, cursing can help us reduce sensitivity to acute pain. Just make sure that your cursing isn’t at anyone – swear at the pain, not the personnel!
References
Carlsson, K., Andersson, J., Petrovic, P., Petersson, K. M., Ohman, A., & Ingvar, M. (2006). Predictability modulates the affective and sensory-discriminative neural processing of pain. NeuroImage, 32(4), 1804–1814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.05.027
Hay, C. M., Sills, J. L., Shoemake, J. M., Ballmann, C. G., Stephens, R., & Washmuth, N. B. (2024). F@#$ pain! A mini-review of the hypoalgesic effects of swearing. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1416041. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416041
Tadesse, M., et al. (2022). “Effect of preoperative anxiety on postoperative pain on patients undergoing elective surgery: Prospective cohort study.” Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 73, 103190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103190
Wang, C., Li, W., Li, D., Liu, Y., Yan, X., Cui, Q., & Jiang, Z. (2024). Behavioural and ERP evidence of a contrary effect between active and passive suppression of facial expressions. Biological psychology, 187, 108774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108774
