Hanging out with dogs for this period is enough to relieve pain

Dogs are amazing, but a new study shows they’re medicinal too. Data shows that spending as little as 10 minutes with a therapy dog ​​in an emergency room can provide pain relief for patients.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, shows that dogs convey affection and optimism to hospital patients and help them cope with symptoms of pain and other ailments.

The study looked at 200 hospital patients who were asked to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10. There were two groups: a control group with no pain intervention and the test group, in which participants spent 10 minutes next to a therapy dog. After their sessions, patients were asked to resubmit their pain scores. Unsurprisingly, those who received dog visits reported less pain.

Photo by Alvan Nee via Unsplash

While dogs do nothing to treat the pain themselves, they could offer a more holistic approach to healthcare, one of the support and optimism that many people with therapy dogs are well acquainted with.

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CNN spoke to some experts who said this approach could help patients feel better and make their time in hospitals easier, something that’s never too pleasant no matter how attentive healthcare workers are. Despite hygiene concerns, the researchers believe it is possible to use therapy animals to benefit patients without impacting the hospital’s ecosystem.

“The things you can gain from pets, and some of the positive emotions that being around the pet might evoke, I think might have an impact on the pain experience itself,” said Michelle Gagnon, assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan.

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Pain is a physical thing, but like most things, it is greatly affected by headspace and the patient’s overall experience. A more holistic approach, in which patients feel comfortable and as happy as possible, can facilitate treatment and leave them with a more positive experience and outlook on their condition.