PAIN!

Today in Modalities we did a lab on pain. Not only did we test pain threshold (the moment you start feeling pain) but pain tolerance (how long you can withstand pain). The tests included:

1) holding your arm over your head for 30 seconds to drain blood, then putting a blood pressure cuff on your arm to keep any blood from returning. You then had to squeeze this thing that is used to measure hand strength every 4 seconds until you couldn't take it. This one didn't hurt so much as make your arm numb and shockingly white.

2) Hold your hand in 40*F water for a long as you can. I was the sissy of the class, only lasting 40 seconds before pain was radiating up my shoulder.

3) You would put your finger under a weight that concentrated all the force on to a 1/2cm x 1cm area between your 2nd and 3rd knuckle. I have a bruise.

4) Putting a capsiacin (the stuff found in hot chili pepers) gel on your skin to stimulate chemical pain. You can get this stuff over the counter as an actual doctor-recommended relief for pain - the heat distracts you from other pain I guess. This had NO EFFECT for about an hour. Now I have a legitimate BURN on my arm
It kind of hurts. Like a lot. Like really a lot.

5) Using Oralgel to stop the pain signal of salsa at the source. If the signal leading from where ever you feel pain to your brain is disrupted anywhere along the nerve, you don't feel pain. It was good salsa, but I'll have to bring in some of Mr. Owen's salsa for the next year's class if they REALLY want spicy.

Fun Fact: Sugar is a natural pain reliever. The effects are not physically felt by anyone over the age of 8 or 9, because the amount of sugar we have eaten by then has desensitized our bodies from the effects. This is the real reason you get a sucker after getting shots as a child. But we got M&Ms anyway, because that's fun!
Fun Fact: I only like the blue, red, and brown M&Ms. So I gave all my yellows to Mike, the greens to Tim, and the oranges to Lisa. You can also see Nicole's feet in this picture.

Also. Mrs Jillian Mabey suggested putting super glue on my belt buckle. I will be trying this now, hopefully I do not glue my belt to my pants or closed or to me.