Can pets help with pain management?
Emma explores whether our four-legged friends can help deal with the symptoms of chronic pain.
Dealing with chronic pain is an all-consuming process that affects over a third of the population in most countries world-wide. Chronic pain can vary from mild to severe and everything in between, but it is estimated that 12% of people managing chronic pain deal with severe and debilitating symptoms; many of whom turn to pain medication to get by. Given these statistics it is unsurprising that substance abuse is prevalent among people struggling with chronic pain. There have been approaches that help people cope with substance abuse and other negative outcomes of chronic pain management like harm reduction interventions, community-based services, and rehabilitation. However, these may not be the only options available—one more remarkable way to manage pain is developing companionship with pets.
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For many patients, the idea of snuggling up to a pet as a way of managing pain and aiding recovery may be surprising, but there is evidence from research that this could help. When cats are happy, they purr at a frequency between 25 and 150 Hz, which is similar to the frequency range used in therapeutic interventions for patients dealing with pain. This study suggested that petting your cat while being sedentary may have a similar effect on the human body to that of pain therapy. It is possible that patients could reduce the time and money spent on visiting their doctors by receiving pain relief from their happy, purring cats.
Companion animals can also improve the wellbeing of their human companions. Researchers have studied the role of therapy dogs in helping patients cope with their pain in highly stressful situations. In one study, researchers investigated whether, in addition to usual care, a 10 minute therapy dog visit could reduce pain in adults in an emergency department. They observed a correlation between introduction of the therapy dog and a reduction in the experience of pain, depression, and anxiety among the participants, as well as an improved sense of wellbeing; this compared to no changes among adults in the control group. Another study indicated that when an owner makes active-use of companionship with their pet, it can be moderately helpful in the management of pain, versus the owners who did not actively do so. Participants in the study also reported that their companion animals provided them with social and emotional support, as well as giving them a sense of purpose in life.
“When cats are happy, they purr at a frequency between 25 and 150 Hz, which is similar to the frequency range used in therapeutic interventions for patients dealing with pain.”
The studies discussed here suggest that snuggling with pets and caring for them could be helpful to patients with chronic pain, providing a warmth of companionship and a hopeful light in their lives. During painful periods, having something to live for, take care of, or look forward to could make the challenges of patients’ lives more manageable. Research in this area remains active as there are many unanswered questions. Perhaps 10 years from now, therapeutic options such as “pet your cat for 20 minutes every day as they sit on your lap” or “pet your dog and give it snuggles for 30 minutes” could be recommended by doctors alongside prescriptions for Tylenol and opioids.
Other potential health benefits of companion animals have been explored by Akshay Jagadeesh in his piece published last fall.
Author's Note: Please have it be noted that caring for pets and giving them a good quality of life can be a great benefit to individuals living with chronic pain. However, companion animals should only be considered if it is financially feasible and if we have the capacity to care for them properly. Pets are not just here to make our lives better. Pets are creatures who deserve ethical treatment, careful attention, and love, just as humans do. But, under the right circumstances, caring for one (or more) may have clear benefits for our health.