Sarah fell and banged her arm on the sidewalk. She rubbed the area that was hurt and to her surprise, found the pain actually decreased. How can we explain this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gate control theory explains how non-painful input closes the "gates" to painful input, which prevents pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system. Rubbing the area where Sarah felt pain likely activated this mechanism, reducing her perception of pain.

Sarah Fell and Banged Her Arm on the Sidewalk