> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Swearing helps relieve pain
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/130720090926_swearing_helps_relieve_pain/
- Published: 2009-07-13T21:25:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T12:23:58.000Z
- Description: Richard Stephens at Keele had more than 60 undergraduates hold their hands in icy water and found they lasted longer and felt less pain while repeating a curse word than a neutral one. Why swearing helps is unknown; exercise is offered as another option.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Lifestyle, Health News, #vivvo-import

By David Liu

An interesting study published in NeuroReport suggests that women in childbirth have a reason to scream curse words at their husbands.The study found students better relieved pain they experienced when sticking their hands in buckets of icy water by repeating a curse word than a neutral word.Richard Stephens at Keele University's School of Psychology and colleagues conducted the test to see if there is any difference in terms of pain relief between saying a curse word and a neutral word.The study of more than 60 undergraduates showed students repeating a curse word could hold their hands in the icy water longer and felt lesser pain than repeating the neutral word.It is unknown why saying a curse word could help relieve pain.Swearing does not have to be the only way to relieve pain. Exercise is one good alternative.A study published in the Sept 2003 issue of Clinical Rehabilitation showed that regular exercise or aerobic exercise three times a week helped women with migraine better manage the pain they experienced.Narin S. O and colleagues from Dokuz Eylul University in Izmire Turkey said that regular long-term aerobic exercise reduced migraine pain severity, frequency and duration possibly due to increased nitric oxide production.It has been observed that physical activities like jogging or love-making can reduce tooth pain.