Exposure to nature reduces brain activity linked to pain – study

Exposure to nature may change the way the brain responds to processing pain, according to a study.

Scans showed activity linked to pain perception reduced when people were shown videos of natural scenes compared to images of a city or inside an office.

Researchers said that while its effects were around half that of painkillers, the findings could pave the way for alternative ways to manage pain.

For the study, academics from the universities of Exeter and Vienna monitored the brains of 49 people as they received small electric shocks.

The group was shown videos of natural landscapes, city scenes and an indoor office space.

Less pain

Patients reported feeling less pain while watching the nature videos compared to the city and office videos, with scans showing the brain’s response to processing pain also changing.

The study’s lead author Max Steininger, a PhD student at the University of Vienna, said: “Numerous studies have shown that people consistently report feeling less pain when exposed to nature.

“Yet until now, the underlying reasons for this effect were unclear.

“Our study is the first to provide evidence from brain scans that this isn’t just a ‘placebo’ effect – driven by people’s beliefs and expectations that nature is good for them – instead, the brain is reacting less to information about where the pain is coming from and how intense it feels.”

Mr Steininger said the findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest “the pain-relieving effect of nature is genuine” although its effects were around half that of painkillers.

“People in pain should certainly continue taking any medication they have been prescribed,” he added.

“But we hope in future alternative ways of relieving pain, such as experiencing nature, may be used to help improve pain management.”

Healing potential

Dr Alex Smalley, of the University of Exeter, added: “This study highlights how virtual encounters can bring the healing potential of nature to people when they can’t get outside.

“But we hope our results also serve as renewed evidence for the importance of protecting healthy and functioning natural environments, encouraging people to spend time in nature for the benefit of both the planet and people.

“The fact that this pain-relieving effect can be achieved through a virtual nature exposure which is easy to administer has important practical implications for non-drug treatments, and opens new avenues for research to better understand how nature impacts our minds.”