Effect of stress and yogic relaxation techniques (Anulomvilom & Shavasana) on cold induced pain perception in medical undergraduate students

The current knowledge of stress and relaxation on the phenomenon of pain perception is extremely limited. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of mental stress, physical stress and the effect of yogic relaxation techniques like Anulomvilom and Shavasana on the perception of pain, measured by the cold pressor test, in medical undergraduate students. The results for pain threshold showed that its value in basal condition and during mental stress was significantly less compared to pain threshold in physical stress and after yogic relaxation techniques. The results for pain tolerance showed that its value in basal condition was significantly less as compared to pain tolerance in physical stress while the mean value of pain tolerance in condition of mental stress was significantly less compared to pain tolerance in physical stress and after yogic relaxation techniques. This study suggests that both stress and yogic relaxation techniques have an effect on pain perception. It however raises several questions for which the definitive answers are yet to be determined and therefore serves to emphasize the importance of the same for future research on pain or in clinical practice.