Cuddling your DOG can reduce symptoms after a physically painful ordeal, scientists reveal

Whether it is a parent or a partner, we often appreciate having a loved one with us as we recover from a painful procedure.

However, new research suggests that dogs should be our most important companion during recovery.

German scientists have discovered that owning a dog reduces pain during recovery from a physical ordeal.

They report that cuddling with a dog – or simply having a dog nearby – is a more effective form of relief than the presence of a human.

However, the researchers do not recommend that people take painkillers if necessary, because their experiments tested only mild pain.

The new research was led by Dr. Heidi Mauersberger at the Department of Psychology at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.

“Social support from family and friends may have positive effects on health, but it does not always help in coping with pain,” Dr. Mauersberger and colleagues write in their article.

‘[We] was designed to test whether pets are a better source of support than human companions in a painful situation.’

The study consisted of two slightly different experiments, focusing exclusively on physical pain and not on emotional pain.

In the first experiment, 74 women performed a cold pressor task in the presence of their own dog, a friend, or while alone.

The cold pressor test – used in many laboratory experiments to induce pain – involves immersing the hand in ice-cold water for as long as possible before it becomes unbearable.

In the second experiment, another 50 women performed the cold pressor task in the presence of an unfamiliar dog or a strange human, or while alone.

The researchers used only women in their experiments for consistency, as “gender differences can influence pain perception and processing,” Dr. Mauersberger said.

In experiment one, the dogs were in a corner nearby and there was no physical contact. In experiment two, the participants were allowed to pet the dogs.

In both experiments, participants reported less pain and exhibited fewer “pain behaviors” – such as jaw clenching, grimacing, and complaining – in the presence of the dogs compared to the presence of the people.

As expected, having their own dog present – ​​rather than an unfamiliar dog – resulted in a greater reduction in pain.

The pain was relieved more by the presence of a human nearby than when you were alone, but not as much as when a dog was nearby.

“Participants who brought their dog along reported less pain and showed lower physiological pain responses, greater pain tolerance, and less intense facial expressions of pain,” the team said.

“Pets can help people cope with painful situations, especially if the person in pain generally feels affection for the dog.”

Dogs provide “unconditional” and “non-judgmental” support to someone experiencing pain, unlike humans, who tend to “socially judge.”

For example, a person experiencing pain may feel that his or her human companion is judging him or her for his or her dramatic behavior.

Moreover, the “social demand” of a friend’s presence may negate the otherwise reassuring effect of his or her support.

The team cites a previous study that found that stressed women preferred to be alone with their dogs when they were in pain because being with the dog “required no social pretenses and no social expectations to be met.”

Dr. Mauersberger admits that her research – published in the magazine Psychological Acta – focused on the pain experience as experienced by the participants, which of course differs from the physical phenomenon of pain itself.

‘Participants reported lower pain intensity, better coping and less pain behaviour in the presence of dogs,’ she told MailOnline.

‘Although this may not directly lead to a reduction in pain on a physiological level, it does have a major impact on the way people experience and tolerate pain.’

Still, the team believes dogs could improve the quality of life of pain patients by “reducing pain-related disability and depression.”