Images Ease Pain

Using Images to Overcome Pain

New research, conducted by scientists at the University of Montreal, confirms the importance of using artwork incorporating pleasant images in healthcare settings. Participants in an experiment conducted by Roy and his colleagues who were looking at pleasant images (such as summer water skiing scenes) experienced less pain when electronic shocks were administered to them than people looking at unpleasant images (e.g., a ferocious bear) or neutral images (a book, for example). These effects are produced through emotional responses to the images used and are consistent with previous research indicating that pain is perceived as less severe when pleasant music is played than when the pleasant music is absent.

Ref: Mathieu Roy, Mathieu Piche, Jen-I Chen, Isabelle Peretz, and Pierre Rainville. 2009. “Cerebral and Spinal Modulation of Pain by Emotions.” Nature Proceedings, in press.