Rubbing it better really helps

Rubbing a sore knee or arm after a bump really does help make the pain go away, say scientists.

Researchers have discovered that gentle stroking activates "pleasure" nerves beneath the skin, which then reduce the sensation of pain from other nerves.

They found that people who were exposed to painful temperatures on the surface of their skin felt less pain if they were stroked at the same time.

The scientists believe signals to the brain from the nerves that detect the pleasurable stroking dampen the signals from nerves that detect pain.

Professor Francis McGlone, a neuroscientist at Liverpool University who worked with the scientists behind the study, has also calculated the optimum way of touching someone to produce the most pleasure.

Speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science, he said the key was to stroke with a slow speed and little pressure.