In this study, we aggregated findings from 62 primary studies conducted across 21 countries, encompassing 96 effect sizes from a total of N = 4,439 participants. The included studies predominantly focused on acute pain in medical or experimental settings and used a wide range of nature exposures, from simple unimodal stimuli (e.g., pictures of nature) to immersive virtual reality experiences. Comparator conditions varied from no-stimulation controls to closely matched non-natural stimuli. We investigated whether exposure to nature is associated with changes in self-reported pain.

Key findings include:

• On average, participants reported lower pain during exposure to nature, with a small-to-moderate estimated standardized mean effect size (SMD = 0.535).
• Sensitivity analyses suggest that this effect is robust and exceeds a minimally important difference, corresponding to an approximately 1-point reduction on typical 0-10 self-reported pain rating scales.
• When nature exposure was compared with tightly matched control conditions, effect sizes were generally smaller. Moreover, nature stimuli engaging multiple senses tended to produce stronger effects.
• Notably, we observed substantial heterogeneity and a moderate-to-high risk of bias across studies, underscoring the need for cautious interpretation.

Overall, the study offers valuable insights into the potential efficacy of nature-based approaches for reducing pain. At the same time, it highlights the need for more rigorous and well-controlled research to clarify the generalizability, specificity, and underlying mechanisms of these effects.

Link to the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-025-00569-2

(c) image: https://pixabay.com/photos/chiemsee-lake-lake-sunset-winter-8523044/