Canadian researchers have shown that using their mobile phone, in addition to local anesthesia, during surgery would reduce the use of painkillers.
The cell phone has become a bit of a blanket that we just can’t do without. It can take photos, videos, give you access to various applications, and today it can also be an effective way to feel less pain during minor surgeries.
In any case, this is what has been shown by research by Cornell University to Montreal. According to this surprising study, just texting someone during minor surgery, performed under local anesthesia, can dramatically reduce patient demand for painkillers.
The study authors explained in the review Medicine Bread that “these results suggest that just communicating with a friend or a stranger has a pain relieving effect.” The data also shows that sending a text message to a stranger has more effect than sending it to a loved one ”.
98 patients studied
Previous studies had already shown that social and family support before and during surgery can reduce anxiety and the perception of pain. Based on this premise, Jeff Hancok’s team decided to test this approach. They were interested in whether texting or playing games on the phone could replace this support in an environment where family or friends are not allowed in, such as operating theaters.
To achieve their results, Jeff Hancok, professor of Information and Communication Science, and Jamie Guillory, a doctoral student at the university, formed four groups, from 98 patients.
The first group received a standard cell phone. The second played the Angry Birds application on Smartphone, the third used a phone to text a loved one (friend or family) and the last used it to text a stranger, here a member of the research team.
According to the results, patients who received standard treatment (without using the phone) used twice as many painkillers as patients who played Angry Birds before and during the operation. These same patients were four times more likely to receive an additional pain reliever than those who texted their loved one, and even six times more likely than those who texted a stranger.
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