Was it less painful for knights? Influence of appearance on pain perception

ConclusionsAccording to the pain ratings, participants felt significantly less pain in the covered arm condition compared with the unprotected and the neutral arm condition. Subjective pain perception was decreased by a virtual protection of the arm in VR. The simplicity of the manipulation suggests possible practical uses in pain therapy by strengthening the patients’ own capacities to influence their pain using simple cognitive manipulations via virtual reality.
SignificanceA virtual, covered arm causes differences in reported pain ratings. Physiological measurements do not confirm the findings. Visual information about body protection can have an impact on pain perception.

Source: European Journal of Pain - July 31, 2017 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: A. Weeth, A. M ühlberger, Y. Shiban Tags: Original Article Source Type: research