Do you want to heal faster? Time might not be the best medicine…exactly. A new study from Harvard suggests there is a connection between how you experience time and the rate at which you heal.
Researchers developed an experiment to make similar wounds using a method called cupping. Cupping therapy involves creating a localized suction on the skin using suction cups, which causes the expansion of blood vessels beneath the skin. Cupping was used in this study because the marks left allowed for a standardized process to create wounds that healed within a short time frame. All participants completed three experimental conditions. The normal time condition was based on a standard clock time of 28 minutes. The fast time condition had a perceived time of 56 min and the slow time condition was 14 minutes, while actual clock time for each was 28 min.
Perceived time was manipulated by altering the timer to run at twice or half its normal speed. The results suggest the fast time healing experiment resulted in the wound healing or returning to normal much faster.
So, the next time you’re waiting for your muscles to stop aching, get lost in your favorite thing and when you wonder how long it has been, just assume it has been hours. Need an in-depth explanation? Check the link on KOFO’s facebook page.
