Study Finds Nature Exposure Reduces Pain by Altering Brain Activity

Research shows that viewing natural scenes, even virtually, can decrease pain perception by calming neural responses to pain stimuli.

A study involving 49 participants found that exposure to natural environments, even through videos, reduces pain perception and neural activity linked to pain processing.
Brain scans revealed decreased activity in regions associated with sensory pain when participants viewed natural landscapes compared to urban or indoor settings.
The pain relief effect of nature was shown to be genuine and not a placebo, directly altering how the brain processes pain signals at a sensory level.
While the effect was about half as strong as typical painkillers, researchers suggest nature exposure could complement traditional pain management strategies.
The findings highlight potential applications in healthcare, such as using virtual nature scenes in hospitals to provide non-drug pain relief.