DO SEXUAL FANTASIES ALLEVIATE PAIN?

From American Pain Society

October 21-24, 1999

Theme: 06 Behavioral interventions

Authors:  
Peter S Staats, M.D.
Hamid Hekmat, Ph.D.
Arthur Staats, Ph.D.

Thinking about a favourite sexual fantasy may increase ones pain tolerance, according to new research. Researchers led by Dr. Peter Staats, director of the division of pain medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, studied the effects of a positive emotional response on pain. Forty college students were asked to put one of their hands into ice water, keeping it there until they could no longer stand the pain.

The students were then randomly assigned to four groups. They were either told to think about a preferred sexual fantasy with their favourite partner, a non-preferred sexual fantasy, or a neutral fantasy, such as people walking. The fourth group were not given any specific instructions. All of the students in the preferred-sexual-fantasy group were able to keep their hands in the ice water over twice as long as those in other groups (three minutes compared to a little over one minute). "Wether patients think positive thoughts themselves or wether you say positive things to them, it will havean impact on their responce to pain," Staats said.

The results of the study were presented at the 18th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (www.ampainsoc.org), held in Fort Lauderdalw, Fla., on October 23. Because students in the preferred fantasy group were able to tolerate pain better then the non-preferred fantasy group, the researchers concluded that respecting patients' choice and preference while designing pain intervention programs may reduce pain.

"what this study points out is the power of emotion in treating patients," Staats said. Staats father, Arthur, emeritus professor of psycology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a co-author of the study, also performed research on the relationship between emotion and behaviour in the past.

This new study supports the contention that if someone in pain is exposed to other causes of negative emotion, the pain will feel worse. Conversley, if pain is coupled with things that cause positive feelings, the pain will seem to be decreased. "Before 1950, physicians used the power of suggestion as a major mode of treatment," Staats said. "Now we're so pressed for time that we don't always have a chance to really converse with patients, to listen to their fears and anxieties. The bedside manner, what is said to the patient, is important."

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