Benefits of Exposure to Nature for People with Chronic Pain
Nature is defined as the animals, flora, landscape or natural products of the Earth that an individual can perceive or interact with through their senses. Exposure to nature has been linked to improvements in several health outcomes including pain intensity and anxiety. While the mechanisms are still unclear, it has been hypothesized that green light from natural sceneries may induce positive emotions and subsequently alleviate pain and pain-associated psychological symptoms. Through exposure to natural settings, nature exposure therapy utilizes these therapeutic effects of nature in the treatment of medical and psychiatric conditions.
Lee MJ, Pradeep A, Lobner K, Badaki-Makun O (2023) The effect of nature exposure on pain experience and quality of life in patients with chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0291053.
