Study Finds Viewing Nature Reduces Pain Perception

Research shows that exposure to natural scenes alters brain activity, offering a potential non-drug approach to pain management.

Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Vienna found that viewing nature reduces pain perception by changing how the brain processes pain signals.
Brain scans revealed decreased activity in regions associated with sensory pain processing when participants viewed natural landscapes compared to urban or indoor scenes.
The study involved 49 participants who received mild electric shocks while watching videos of natural, urban, and indoor environments.
The pain-relieving effect of nature was found to be genuine, not a placebo, though its impact was about half as effective as conventional painkillers.
Virtual nature exposure, such as videos or images, was also effective, highlighting its potential for use in healthcare settings and non-drug pain management strategies.