One in five people in the Netherlands live with chronic pain, making it the country’s most common health condition. Chronic pain significantly impacts quality of life, hindering people in their work, causing fatigue, and leading to emotional issues. Movement, nutrition, relaxation, and humour are all factors that can influence pain.
Comedy show
During Amsterdam’s Museum Night, Wendy Scholten-Peeters and her team tested the effect of humour on pain thresholds at NEMO Science Museum. Visitors participated in a simple experiment: their pain thresholds were measured before and after attending a stand-up comedy show. “A pressure algometer was used to apply pressure on the participants’ right arm,” Scholten-Peeters explained. “We measured the amount of pressure at which visitors began to experience the transition from pressure to pain.” The Comedy Train performed the show, and a total of 344 people participated in the experiment.
Curious about what the experiment looked like? Watch the video here.
“This experiment was not pure scientific research,” Scholten-Peeters clarified. “Its purpose was to raise awareness about the factors that can influence pain.” Participants were not selected according to strict criteria, and confounding factors such as alcohol consumption were not controlled. Nevertheless, the experiment yielded valuable insights. Pain thresholds varied widely among individuals, from less than 20 Newtons to over 100 Newtons. “Notably, people who reported laughing heartily often had a higher pain threshold after the comedy show,” Scholten-Peeters observed. In contrast, those who were less enthusiastic about the humour showed little to no change in their pain threshold.
Dance and art
The experiment was conducted as part of the World Congress on Pain, organised by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), which was held in Amsterdam this year. The Pain Alliance Netherlands (PA!N) and Amsterdam Movement Sciences (AMS) collaborated on various activities to draw attention to pain. In addition to humour, dance, art, and music were employed to raise awareness. For instance, dance workshops were held in Vondelpark, and guided tours on the theme of “Pain in Art” took place at the Rijksmuseum.
Scientific research has shown that watching a funny film reduces pain sensitivity and improves mood, in contrast to watching a dull documentary. “Laughter in a social setting also stimulates the release of endorphins,” Scholten-Peeters explained. Music has a similar effect: listening to favourite music during painful stimuli increases pain thresholds and reduces perceived pain compared to listening to disliked music.
Laughter as medicine
The results of the Museum Night experiment appear to support scientific findings that humour can play a role in managing chronic pain. In her role as a professor of ‘Working Mechanisms and Management Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy’, Scholten-Peeters investigates the mechanisms underlying pain complaints such as back and neck pain, and which interventions can influence these mechanisms. She emphasises that pain has physical, mental, and social components. “In acute pain, there is often tissue damage, where pain acts as a warning and protective mechanism, for instance, prompting you to withdraw your hand from a flame. However, in chronic pain, the nervous system becomes dysregulated, and the body overreacts. Stimuli that would normally not be painful, such as certain thoughts and feelings, can now be perceived as painful.”
Scholten-Peeters stresses that pain must be respected, but it can be influenced. “Everyone experiences pain differently. It’s important to look at the individual behind the pain and explore ways to improve their quality of life. Identifying and addressing the specific factors sustaining the pain requires a tailored approach.” The Museum Night experiment demonstrates that while laughter may not be the ultimate pain medicine, it can undoubtedly a surprisingly be an effective one.