Holding hands a way to ease pain, study finds

Holding hands with someone you love helps reduce perception
of pain. Photo: Thinkstock

by Anne Crawford

Holding hands – an intimate moment, a gesture of reassurance or a show of friendship and connection.

Now a Monash University study demonstrates that this simple gesture can have an analgesic effect on stress and pain, supporting the role of social connections in managing pain in clinical settings.

Participants sought: Does social support influence the perception of pain?

Does social support make a difference to
the perception of pain? Image: iStock

The role of social support in the perception of pain is being investigated by MAPrc researchers.

Volunteers aged between 18 and 60 are wanted for a research study being conducted at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) at 607 St Kilda Road.

This study looks at the role of social support in the experience of uncomfortable stimulus.