Handling money can be an effective way of relieving pain, or even preventing it in the first place, a new research has suggested.

It was found by the researchers that people who counted money before taking part in an experiment where they were subjected to low levels of pain felt less discomfort than those who did not.

According to the reports of dailymail. co. uk, it is thought that fondling notes and coins helps ward off pain by boosting feelings of self-worth and self-sufficiency.

Students, at the University of Minnesota, were asked to count out a wad of cash consisting of 80 hundred dollar bills, or just 80 slips of blank paper.

Researchers told them that they were simply testing their dexterity in handling the notes.

They were then asked to dip their hands into a bowl of hot water to see how painful they found it and how long they could last.

It was shown by the results that those who had handled money reported less pain. (With Inputs from Agencies)