Angry Birds could reduce pain during surgery

May 5, 2015  18:40

Sending text messages or playing a game on a mobile phone can significantly reduce pain during a minor operation, new research suggests.

A US study has found that those offered electronic distractions such as the game Angry Birds were half as likely to demand pain relief as others who were not given a hand-held device.

Those who were able to text a friend throughout the procedure were even less likely to call for medication to reduce their pain, while those who were put in touch with a stranger were the least likely to call for analgesics, the research found.

The study led by Cornell University in New York, was set up to examine whether social support - messages of reassurance from friends and family – could reduce levels of perceived pain among those undergoing minor surgery.

Patients were split into four groups, one of which underwent the procedure without distractions.

Those in the other three groups were given a mobile phone; some were given access to the electronic game Angry Birds, others were told to text a close friend or family member, while others were asked to text a research assistant.

The study found that those given no distractions fared the worst. They were twice as likely to require pain relief as those given the game Angry Birds - and four times as likely as to demand it as those who were texting a companion.

Those who were put in touch with a stranger from the research team - with instructions to get to know each other - did best. They were six times less likely to ask for analgesics, the study found.

Researchers from Cornell University in New York and doctors from LaSalle Hospital in Montreal said the study provided the first evidence that electronic distractions could help patients undergoing surgery.

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