Why does rubbing help after you hit yourself?

Asian woman received pain education by Studio On.

It’s a reflex we all share: when we bump into something, we instinctively rub the area.

But why? Far from being a simple habit, this action reveals how our nervous system manages pain — and how these mechanisms are used in modern physiotherapy to treat pain effectively.

Rubbing the Skin: A Natural Way to Modulate Pain

When we hit a surface, pain receptors (nociceptors) send a rapid signal to the brain.

By rubbing the area, we activate another set of receptors: mechanoreceptors, which respond to mechanical stimuli such as pressure, touch, and tissue deformation.

Sensory Interference: How It Works

The activation of mechanoreceptors generates a flow of non-painful sensory information that travels alongside pain signals.

This information competes with nociceptive input at the level of the spinal cord and brain, temporarily reducing pain perception — a well-studied phenomenon in pain modulation.

Pain Processing Happens in the Brain

Pain is not just a peripheral event; it is processed, interpreted, and modulated by the brain.

Central Sensitization and Nociceptive Plasticity

In cases of chronic pain, the nervous system undergoes nociceptive plasticity: pain-processing circuits become hypersensitive, amplifying the perception of pain. This explains why some patients experience persistent pain even after the original tissue injury has healed.

Understanding these central mechanisms is key to designing effective treatment strategies.

What Does This Teach Us About Pain Treatment in Physiotherapy?

In physiotherapy, these mechanisms directly inform our clinical approach:

• Targeted tissue mobilization helps promote normal sliding between different structures (joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves), supporting peripheral desensitization.

• Patient education plays a critical role in addressing central sensitization, helping patients understand their pain and reducing maladaptive responses.

By combining these evidence-based strategies, physiotherapy aims not only to restore mobility but also to sustainably reduce pain.

Conclusion

Experiencing joint or musculoskeletal pain?

👉 Our physiotherapy-based approach is grounded in current scientific understanding of pain mechanisms and designed to help you move and feel better.

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