Giving the ‘middle finger’ helps to reduce pain, study shows
GIVING a one-fingered salute helps to reduce pain, a study shows.
The gesture, also known as flipping the bird, cuts discomfort by around a tenth.
Flicking the Vs may also help, experts believe, and swearing has a similar effect, they confirmed.
In the study, participants put one hand into icy water and repeatedly gave a one-fingered salute, or made a non-offensive gesture, with the other.
In other tests they shouted f**k or said “flat” after submerging a hand.
The rude gesture group withstood pain for 125 seconds on average, 12 more than those not being rude.
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They also lasted longer than the swearers who outdid the “flat” group.
The researchers said flipping the bird may help beat pain as we unconsciously think “f**k” while doing it.
It may make people more confident or distracted, helping them ignore discomfort.
Professor Autumn Hostetter, who led the study at Kalamazoo University in Michigan, US, said: “This is the first research to show a taboo gesture has a pain-lowering effect similar to that produced by a taboo word.”