What Science Says About Dogs and Emotional Pain
Pain isn’t just about physical discomfort. Whether it’s a soreness, tingle, cramp, or throb, pain, no matter the magnitude, pain can also cause emotional distress. The same is true for our pets.
According to a past study, pain is the primary reason people seek out emergency care. However, it’s not uncommon for emergency departments (EDs) [an umbrella term that could also include emergency rooms (ERs)] to under-evaluate and undertreat acute pain conditions. The ED setting doesn’t help the situation either–the noise and constant bright light add to the stress, disrupting the patient’s rest to aggravate the pain even further.
On the other hand, the ED’s lack of sufficient distraction heightens sensory awareness, amplifying perceptions of pain. However, therapy dogs have proven effective in managing stress, loneliness, depression, and anxiety in the ED.
Just 10 Minutes
Ten minutes with a therapy dog is enough to relieve your anxiety and depression, per a recent PLOS journal report by the University of Saskatchewan (USask). The research, which involved 200 ER patients, was part of the Royal University Hospital’s visiting dog program, with participants being separated into an intervention and control group.
After the study, those who interacted with dogs recorded significantly lower pain levels than the control group. The intervention group also recorded lower anxiety and depression levels, unlike their control counterparts whose symptoms remained the same.
Although human-animal bond expert Dr. Sandra Barker recognizes risks like cynophobia (fear of dogs), pet hair allergies, fleas, and other infections, she and her research counterpart Dr. Nancy Gee recommend training, grooming, and veterinary checks as countermeasures. Handlers should also be adequately trained.
Physical Pain Relief
Researcher Julia Havey and colleagues recently conducted a study on adults recovering from joint replacement surgery. According to the findings, patients who were visited by therapy dogs required less pain relief doses than those who weren’t. By distracting patients from their symptoms, dogs alleviate pain perception to reduce the intensity of distress.
However, a separate study suggests a more direct connection–besides affecting biological markers such as cortisol, therapy dogs stimulate stress cardiac indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure. The pain and stress relief may also be a result of beneficial hormones like oxytocin. This is in addition to triggering endogenous pain inhibition and releasing opioids, oxytocin, and similar pain-relieving neurochemicals.
More literature suggests that dogs make it easier for chronic pain patients to self-manage chronic pain by providing joy and encouraging community engagement and physical activity.
Empathy
Your furry friend might be more sensitive to your emotions than you think. According to the University of Vienna researchers, dogs can differentiate positive from negative feelings, pointing to the basic component of empathy. The setup for this study was a laboratory with loudspeakers positioned in different locations. While the dogs were left off-leash on a blanket near their handlers, owners read a book and wore headphones to ignore their pet buddies.
The researchers then played different noises over one loudspeaker– alternating the sounds between human laughter and cries, whining and playful barking, rustling leaves and falling rain, as well as animate sounds free of emotion, for example, non-emotional chatter and cricket noises.
In the end, dogs paid more attention to emotional sounds from humans or other dogs, regardless of whether the emotions were positive or negative. Researchers concluded that dogs were more likely to freeze on hearing negative emotional sounds than positive ones, proving that animals could differentiate between joy and distress.
Additionally, a separate Learning & Behaviour journal study confirms that in addition to perceiving changes in human emotion, dogs also overcome physical barriers to alleviate their owners’ distress.
Reduced Loneliness
Per a 2019 University of Sydney study, new dog owners were less lonely after only three months of getting their pets. But how exactly do dogs reduce loneliness? For starters, they alleviate stress – a 2004 study by the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that dog petting lowers blood pressure by nearly 10% after 15-30 minutes. This is in addition to providing companionship. You’re less likely to feel isolated with your pet by your side.
When it comes to socializing, you can always make new friends when walking your pet buddy, going to the vet, traveling, or during pet-parent meet-ups. Pets also provide a sense of purpose. Caring for another life other than your own is not only fulfilling but also distracts you from stressors.
You also get to celebrate your pet’s milestones, from training achievements to birthdays and adoption anniversaries. That’s not to mention the numerous exercise opportunities. Whether it’s your routine walk, playtime date, or random adventure, physical activity has proven effective in boosting concentration, mood, and alertness.
Your dog just be what you need to deal with your emotional pain. But don’t ditch your medication completely – consult a doctor to learn how you can improve the quality of your life with a companion animal.
Contact us to make an appointment today!
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