The question of all questions

I've tried find the answer to this on my own but there seems to be no definite answer, just a variety of opinions. Now, physiologically speaking, why does it seem to hurt like 100x more if you bash your hand on something when it's very cold?

One night last week, my hands were really, really cold so I stuck them in my pocket and in the process I hit my thumb on my phone and, since my hands were really cold, it felt like someone had taken a hammer to my thumb. One would think that the cold would reduce the pain but instead it magnifies it. Why, for the love of cheese, why?! :-D

 

Good question, and one I have wondered about. The best answer I ever found gives the reason as this:

Since you are suffering cold temperatures your nervous system is already being stimulated and thus is over-sensitive. Add in the fact your body is probably undergoing some vascular constriction in your hands and feet so the underlying nerve clusters are less protected by the skin and other tissues.

Sounds plausible to me.

 

Partially correct. Also, the major factor of muscles and joints being much stiffer when very cold. Makes for not much flexibility when cold = hurt!...:cry

 

I knew the minds here would know!


Just another reason why I hate the cold/winter. :cry

 

God thinks it's funny as a shit:-D

If you were designing a universe from scratch that you had to watch one of the two things that should be mandatory extra pain in cold weather, especially from hitting it with a hammer and noisy farts.

It's like why do we wear pants, what was wrong with fur? God implanted that idea just so every so often he could watch us with our pants around our ankles waddle to the bathroom cupboard for more toilet paper:-D

 

This was a serious question, Rikky. http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy290/lotzasmilies/dry.gif


I'll have none of your shenanigans.