Hold My Hand (It’s For Science)
In Julia Gover’s latest blog, she explores her favourite ever study about pain – and what it tells us about our closest relationships.
“Imagine you’re lying on your back inside an MRI scanner, with the machine humming and clanking around you. You’ve been told that at some point in the next few minutes, you might receive a mild electric shock to your ankle. You don’t know exactly when it’s coming, only that it might.
“Now imagine two versions of this moment: in the first, you’re alone. In the second, someone is holding your hand. Would that make a difference?
“Well, according to a fascinating study by J Coan and colleagues, those two scenarios play out very differently inside your brain.
Hurt does not always mean harm
“Most of us grow up with a simple story about pain, that injuries cause the hurt. But modern science tells a much more complex, and more interesting, story. This is summed up in Flippin' Pain's second key message: hurt does not always mean harm.
“Pain is not just a signal from injured tissues. It helps us to stop injuring ourselves further. This means the brain takes in a lot of different factors when deciding whether to make pain, including:
Your body (your nervous system, hormones, genetics)
Your mind (your emotions, fears, expectations, memories)
Your life (what’s happening around you, who is with you, whether you feel safe and supported).
“This means our experience of pain can differ depending on the circumstances. And we see this with our kids: when they fall over, toddlers often look up at us before crying. If we rush over in panic, the tears flow. If we instead smile and say, “You’re okay,” the pain often fades. The injury didn’t change. The context did!
My favourite study
“In Coan’s study from 2006, married women lay inside an MRI scanner while anticipating mild electric shocks. Researchers measured activity in brain regions associated with threat and pain.
“The women experienced three different scenarios:
Alone
Holding the hand of a stranger
Holding the hand of their husband.
“The researchers kept the stimulus (the electric shock) and the setup the same, but completely changed the social context. That change made a big difference to what the women experienced.
“When the women faced the possibility of shock alone, their brains lit up in areas associated with threat detection, emotional distress, self-regulation and vigilance. In other words, their brains prepared for danger. This is the brain doing its job!
“When the women held a stranger’s hand, this threat-related brain activity decreased somewhat. But when they held their husband’s hand, the reduction was dramatic. Brian regions involved in stress and threat response showed significantly less activation. The brain behaved as if the environment was safer, not because the shock disappeared, but because someone trusted was there.
Support changes the experience
“We all know in hard times, it helps to have people around you. But Coan’s study shows us something deeper: social support doesn’t just improve coping, it changes the brain’s response to threat. And when the brain interprets something as less threatening, it hurts less.
“For those working with people in pain like myself, let’s not forget that even if the injury, illness or threat doesn’t vanish, the experience can change. Good relationships can turn down the volume of pain: and we can help that by making sure everyone feels believed and supported. Social connection is so important: disconnection might literally make things hurt more.
“If someone you love is in pain, don’t underestimate the power of simply being there. You are not “just” providing comfort. You may be altering their brain’s threat response. You may be making it hurt less. And sometimes, that starts with something as small, and as profound, as holding a hand.”
By Julia Gover, Flippin’ Pain Community Pain Champion