by Libby Richards, The Conversation Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Millions have rolled up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine, but why haven’t they rolled up their pants legs instead? Why do we get most shots in our arms? As an associate professor of nursing with a background in public health, and as a mother of two curious kids, I...
A genuine, or Duchenne, smile—one that elevates the corners of the mouth and creates crow’s feet around the eyes—can also significantly blunt the stressful, needle-related physiological response by lowering the heart rate. “When facing distress or pleasure, humans make remarkably similar facial expressions that involve activation of the eye muscles, lifting of the cheeks, and...
Like many kids, Lisa Sparrell’s daughter never liked getting shots at the doctor’s office. “At first she’d cry some, but was quickly placated with rewards like a lollipop or a sticker,” says Sparrell, who lives in Honolulu. But last year, Sparrell’s 10-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a heart defect. In preparation for surgery, the little girl’s trips to...
