Vibrating Needles Might Make Shots a Lot Less Scary

Okay, be honest – who reading this enjoys getting a shot at the doctor’s office? That’s what I thought. Most people wouldn’t say getting a shot ranks up high on their favorite activity list, and there’s a pretty good reason why that is, and it’s not rocket science. They hurt. Who wants to get a needle jabbed into their arm (or wherever)? Most of us grin and bear it, but I’ve met few people who said getting a shot didn’t phase them in the least. Painful shots could be a thing of the past though, – at least that’s the hope of several anesthesiologists. Last week, at a meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a new injection theory was tested out: vibrating needles. You might be thinking vibrating needles sound even worse than needles that hold still, and I understand that mentality, but it sounds like their research has quite a bit of merit going for it.

What they discovered is pretty interesting. According to their research, if a certain amount of vibration and pressure is applied to the injection site for about 20 seconds before the shot, the actual injection is a lot less painful than it otherwise would be. The reason? It’s less painful because the brain gets tricked by the vibration occurring on the skin and doesn’t concentrate solely on the needle stick.

Whether or not someone will create an actual “vibrating needle” or if health care professionals will just vibrate it themselves remains to be seen.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

[Image via WebMD]

SOURCE: Gizmodo