True Love Is True Pain-killer

     True love really can help to reduce painful feelings, researchers have discovered.
Tests on 17 women found that they were less affected by stinging sensations while looking at pictures of their partners.
But their levels of discomfort actually increased when they were staring at images of spiders, objects or strangers.
    The findings could help to pinpoint how emotions act on different areas of the brain and how uncomfortable feelings can be dealt with. 'On a practical level if you are someone enduring pain or going in for a painful procedure bringing a loved one with you or brining a picture of a loved one with you may reduce the pain of the experience,' the study's lead author Naomi Eisenberger told the Toronto Star.
    Ms Eisenberger, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, carried out the tests on 17 different women who were in long-term relationships.
    An earlier study discovered that women felt less pain while they were either looking at a picture of their partner or while the person was holding their hand.
    But this study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, is the first time that scientists have been unable to find the area of the brain that is responsible for the feelings.
    Researchers used MRIs to monitor the women’s brains while administering stinging shocks to their body.
The women stared at pictures varying from their partner, strangers, or solid objects. They were then given a 20-point scale to use to rate their pain after each shock.