# Boo Boo's And Mom's Kiss
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [October 30, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548 "2021-10-30T22:41:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548/1 "2021-10-30T22:41:03Z")
True story, I still remember. I was a wee kid, maybe 2, maybe 3, but certainly no older than five. And I’d fall down and get a bruise or cut.
I’d tell my mother, it hurts, it hurts. And my mother (who was the epitome of ‘motherly’) asked me if I wanted her to kiss it. And seeing no reason why not, I’d say, yes, of course. And it immediately felt better!
I know the psychological component. But I am telling you it physically felt better. How on earth did that happen?
This is not at all just nonsense and all that. Has anyone ever studied the matter? We study everything else. Think about it.
Yeah, my mother was an exceptional individual. As I already said recently, here in fact, I am going to try to contact her and my dad on All Souls’ Day.
🙂
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2021, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548/2 "2021-10-30T22:48:09Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#):
>
> I know the psychological component. But I am telling you it physically felt better. How on earth did that happen?
[Endorphins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphins).
When your mom kissed your boo-boo, it was part of a nurturing moment, and she was reassuring you that you would be OK. Such reassurance, and your mother’s caregiving, caused your pituitary gland to release endorphins, which reduced the sensation of pain from a minor injury.
Such things as listening to enjoyable music, eating good-tasting food, meditation, having sex, and even laughter, can also lead to the release of endorphins.
Either that, or your mother was a spellcasting healer. Which do you think is more likely?
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2021, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548/3 "2021-10-30T22:52:04Z")
The psychological component is why it felt better.
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### Author:  [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548/4 "2021-10-30T23:30:11Z")
I notice a similar effect with band-aids, even now that I’m an adult and should know better. Like when I got my first COVID shot, I kept the band-aid on a lot longer than I really had to. Why? Because my arm was sore. Am I aware that the band-aid does nothing for a sore arm and isn’t meant to? Of course. But for whatever reason, it still helped.
Same when I smashed my fingers in the trunk of my car. I went to get a band-aid because one was really bloodied up and mangled, but I put band-aids on both that one and the one that was just badly bruised. In that case, I could argue that there was some small practical effect- like I was less likely to use that finger or move it around and there was a small bit of cushion if it hit something. But the actual thought process was definitely more along the lines of ouch + band-aid = less ouch.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2021, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boo-boos-and-moms-kiss/953548/5 "2021-10-31T00:11:45Z")
She didn’t make you Ratatouille?