Q: Researchers say doing this movement confuses the brain and can reduce the intensity of pain?
A: crossing arms
Get this — pain relief may be as simple as crossing your arms. Researchers say crossing arms confuses the brain and that, in turn, can reduce the intensity of pain. The brain is used to having the right hand touch things on the right side and the left hand touch things on the left side, and mixing it up changes pain perception. Says researcher Giandomenico Lannetti, “When we get hurt, we should not only ‘rub it better’ but also cross our arms.” It’s always a headline-grabber.
