According to the study, put on by Dr Richard Stephens, senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University, Staffs, swearing can actually help people deal with physical pain. The study found that when subjects were asked to put their hand in a bucket of ice water, those who swore were able to withstand the pain 40 seconds longer.
“Swearing is drug-free, calorie-free, cost-free, and side effects-free, so why not try it?,” Stephens shares, “If words are the most powerful drug used by mankind, then the physical therapy profession should embrace swearing to change the way our patients think, feel and perform.”
But while swearing may ease the pain, researchers suggest not swearing at people, like say their physical therapist. As the researchers note, “Verbal aggression appears to lead to a high degree of distress among healthcare workers.”