Feeling different types of pain - including headache, pain induced experimentally, childbirth pain, or athlete’s pain after a marathon - will be compared by psychologists from the Jagiellonian University. The researchers want to examine not only how people feel pain, but also emotions accompanying the pain. 

Dr. Przemysław Bąbel, Head of Pain Research Group at the Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, said in the interview with PAP that the study would analyze pain associated with natural childbirth, childbirth by caesarean section, and the pain women experience during gynecological operations similar to cesarean section, with the same type of anesthesia and incision.

"We will compare these types of pain, because we want to touch emotions, we want to see if accompanying emotions affect experiencing pain. In emotional terms, post-operative pain is different from the pain of child birth, even if it takes place by caesarean section. Therefore, in contrast to most previous studies, also positive emotions will be measured, which may be important for the perception of the pain associated with childbirth" - said the scientist.

In April 2012, the year the researchers will study a different kind of pain, which also may be associated with positive emotions  pain after strenuous sports, and more precisely after completing a marathon. "We will compare it with the pain of child birth to see if emotions associated with both types of pain are responsible for certain perception of pain" - said the psychologist.

The study will also measure experimentally induced pain. Participants, who volunteered for the study, receive a pain stimulus. "We expect that much weaker emotions accompany experimental pain. Comparing the experimental pain with pains accompanied by strong emotions, we will be able to determine the impact of emotions on pain" - explained Dr. Bąbel. He assured that although the study may seem controversial, it is completely safe and has been approved by the Commission on Research Ethics at the Institute of Psychology of the Jagiellonian University.

Research is also conducted into dental pain and headache. The study of headache is carried out via the internet. Anyone, who experiences this pain at least several times a year can take part anonymously. "Basically we are interested in non-migraine headache, however, people with diagnosed migraine may also participate in the study" - said Dr. Bąbel. Tests are available on the Pain Research Group website (www.bol.edu.pl).

"The methodology of all studies is the same. We want to compare different types of pain. Subjects are always asked to assess the strength of pain and degree of unpleasantness, the two aspects of pain" - added the researcher and explained that the level of unpleasantness of pain is a psychological aspect. Sometimes strong, but not too unpleasant pain is less severe than weaker, but very unpleasant pain. "Emotions should have the greatest impact on the level of pain unpleasantness" - explained a psychologist.

Researchers from the Jagiellonian University will study the emotions associated with pain, particularly fear of anticipated pain, and the overall level of fear of various pains. "Pain is a very subjective experience, so there are very large differences in the sensation. It is clearly visible in studies of experimentally induced pain: people react differently to the same pain stimulus. We want to verify to what extent these differences result from emotions associated with pain" - described the researcher.

Research on pain began in October this year and consist of several stages. The first results will be known in about half a year.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland, Ludwika Tomala