Crossing Your Fingers Might Not Bring Luck But It Could Impact How You Feel Pain, Say Scientists | HuffPost Life

Crossing Your Fingers Could Affect How You Feel Pain

PA / The Huffington Post UK

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Young man is crossing his fingers

While it might not actually bring good luck, scientists have revealed that the action of crossing your fingers could have an impact on pain.

The hand gesture has been found to affect a well-known pain experiment known as the "thermal grill illusion", which involves heating the index and ring fingers and applying a cold stimulus to the middle finger.

When this is done, a sometimes painful sensation is induced in the middle finger, even though it is actually cold.

Scientists demonstrated that crossing the middle finger over the index finger helps alleviate the paradoxical feeling.

However, if the index finger was cooled and the middle and ring fingers warmed, the burning sensation increased when the middle finger was crossed over the index finger.

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Lead researcher Dr Elisa Ferre, from University College London, said: "Our results showed that a simple spatial pattern determined the burning heat sensation.

"When the cold finger was positioned in between the two warm fingers, it felt burningly hot. When the cold finger was moved to an outside position, the burning sensation was reduced. The brain seemed to use the spatial arrangement of all three stimuli to produce the burning heat sensation on just one finger."

The thermal grill experiment produces burning sensations because of a three-way interaction between nerve pathways to the brain.

Warmth applied to the ring and index fingers blocks the brain activity that would normally be driven by making the middle finger cold.

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15 Exercises For Back Pain

Push-Up with Leg Lift(01 of16)

With your hands and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and the arms fully extended, lower your chest to the floor while maintaining a neutral spine in the plank position. As you do this, elevate one foot off the floor squeezing your butt cheeks to activate your gluteals.Alternate sides until you have completed 20 repetitions.

Plan-Balance Level 1(02 of16)

When holding the plank position, ensure that the arms are in a vertical position directly under the shoulders. While maintaining this position, curl your heel to your butt while keeping your knees at the same height and ensuring there is no rotation or movement through the pelvis or torso. Complete 20 repetitions in total.

Plan-Balance Level 2(03 of16)

Same technique tips as level 1, however, the level 2 movement increases the control needed. Complete 20 repetitions in total.

Side Plank Level 1(04 of16)

Lift your hip from the floor to activate the obliques and core. Keep your hips low and push up from your arm on the floor. 10 repetitions each side.

Side Plank Level 2(05 of16)

Same as level 1, reach your arm overhead to lengthen out the torso, and increase muscle activation and balance. 10 repetitions each side.

Side Plank Level 3(06 of16)

Same as the level 2 exercise, this times as you reach overhead, elevate your knee in towards your elbow for more activation and a bigger challenge. 10 repetitions each side

Bodyweight Squats(07 of16)

While maintaining a neutral spine, sit your bodyweight down into a squat position until your tailbone drops lower than your knees. Ensure there is no excessive forward flexion of the torso. The distance that your knees travel forward during a squat will be different for each person depending on their limb length, regardless, make sure you keep your spine neutral. Complete 15 repetitions.

Walking Lunges(08 of16)

Starting with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands beside your body, take a moderate step forward lowering your knee to about one inch off the floor, while raising your arms overhead. Repeat alternating which leg steps forward for 20 repetitions.

Deadlift Stretch Start(09 of16)

This exercise is used for flexibility in this instance, however, once you have recovered from back pain you can add resistance.

Deadlift Stretch Finish(10 of16)

Focus on keeping the lower back in a neutral position with your chest out and legs should-width apart. You should be able to feel the hamstring activation as your pull your upper body from forward flexion back into an upright position. Complete 10 repetitions.

Gluteal-Hamstring Lift Level 1(11 of16)

Designed to activate the hamstrings, gluteals and lower back, this exercise is great for strengthening and shaping the back of the legs. Start with your butt touching the floor and then lift to push your hips up as you squeeze your butt cheeks. Complete 10 repetitions.

Gluteal-Hamstring Lift Level 2(12 of16)

Same technique as level 1, however, this is the one leg version for people who are looking for an extra challenge. With this level, be sure to avoid any rotation through the pelvis. The challenge is to activate more core and gluteals. Complete 10 repetitions each

Kneeling Hip & Chest(13 of16)

In a kneeling position, take the weight forward as you anchor your back knee to the floor. Hold the stretch for five seconds and release.Completes this stretch five times before switching legs.

Gluteals Level 1(14 of16)

This stretch can also be done with a bent leg elevated on a bench or chair. Aim to have your pelvis in a neutral position with no rotation, and avoid rounding through the upper back as you stretch forward. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds before changing sides. Complete three sets of 20 on each side.

Gluteals & Quads Level 2(15 of16)

Basically the same technique as level 1, this move stretches out the hips. You can elevate the back foot to incorporate hips flexors and quadriceps into the stretch as well. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds before changing sides. Complete three sets of 20 on each side.

Foam Roller(16 of16)

Lie on your side with the roller at the knee and drag your body along the floor until the roller reaches your hips. Return to the starting position. You can also rotate your body forward or back to target a different part of the leg. Complete five rolls on each.

"Cold normally inhibits pain, so inhibiting the input from the cold stimulus produces an increase in pain signals," said Dr Ferre. "It's like two minuses making a plus."

The findings are published in the journal Current Biology. Co-author Professor Patrick Haggard, also from University College London, said they suggest that similar interactions may contribute to the "astonishing variability" of pain.

He added: "Many people suffer from chronic pain, and the level of pain experienced can be higher than would be expected from actual tissue damage.

"Our research is basic laboratory science, but it raises the interesting possibility that pain levels could be manipulated by applying additional stimuli, and by moving one part of the body relative to others.

"Changing the spatial pattern of interacting inputs could have an effect on the brain pathways that underlie pain perception."

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