Swearing helps with pain relief

A new survey has found that 64 per cent of people repeatedly curse to try and ease pain and neuroscientists have revealed that it is actually beneficial.

The most popular swear word after stubbing a toe is the 'f' word, with 52 per cent of those surveyed saying that it is an effective method to relieve pain.

Other popular curse words include 'bloody hell'  and 'damn'.

The average British person swears nine times a day and 69 per cent agreed that it is a powerful thing to do.

Neuropsychologist Dr Rachel Taylor said: "The science shows that when people swear, it can activate the amygdala, which in turn triggers a fight-or-flight response. This then leads to a surge in adrenaline, a natural form of pain relief.

"Interestingly, research also suggests that conventional swear words are better at pain relief than novel ones, and also indicates that if you're reverse swearing just for pain relief, they are more analgesic than if you are a prolific swearer - you can become immune to the pain relief of swearing if you swear a lot."

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