Next time you have a headache — or a backache, foot ache, any sort of muscle ache — don’t go straight for the ibuprofen. Consider, instead, going straight to the bedroom — with a partner. According to OB-GYN Lauren Streicher, author of “Love Sex Again,” having sex can make basic cramps and aches disappear.
“Theoretically, [sex] can help with a headache,” Streicher explained in an interview with #OWNSHOW. “But not just a headache — but a muscle ache, a stomach ache, a foot ache, a you-name-it ache. The reason is endorphins. We know that when people have sex, they release endorphins, and endorphins can decrease pain.”
So simple! Sex can occasionally cause migraines, but that’s rare — plus, Streicher went on to cite a study out of Southern Illinois University, which found that women who suffered migraine headaches and had sex tended to experience a 50 percent decrease in their headaches. That’s partly because of the endorphins released during intercourse, she said, but also because sex makes for a pretty good distraction from pain. It works, in effect, the same way that other painkillers do.
“I think we have both things at play here,” Streicher said. “I think the endorphins that are released might decrease the pain, and distraction is always a good thing. … [but] when you have a really bad headache, it’s not necessarily the time when you’re going to feel like having sex.” Still, though, it’s definitely something to think about before popping pills.
(h/t Huffington Post)
