A new study shows that a doctor’s empathy can significantly reduce a patient’s experience of pain. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, used brain imaging to observe the impact of empathetic connections between chronic pain patients and clinicians. The study found that patients reported less pain and had increased brain activity in pain processing regions when interacting with a caring clinician, especially when a prior therapeutic bond was established. This highlights the healing power of connection in pain management and emphasizes the importance of empathy and social support in healthcare.
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Physician empathy and patient pain
