I feel your pain (it hurts my leg)

January 18, 2023 11:30 AM

When I see or hear about certain types of injury, I get a sharp pain up the back of both legs. What's going on here, how common is it, and why does it happen?

It didn't really occur to me that this wasn't universal until quite recently, but friends I've asked don't have the same experience. The feeling is like a shock or a nerve twinge, or like the jaw pain you might get when you drink something sour or tannic. I am not sure exactly which types of injury set it off and which don't—it definitely doesn't happen every time. I think one distinction is whether I know the injury is real; I can't remember ever having it happen in reaction to a movie. It does not seem to discriminate between images and descriptions, or between human and animal injuries. Does this happen to you, do you have a better sense of the parameters, and/or do you understand the mechanism and reason?

posted by babelfish to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

The NPR podcast Invisibilia had an episode about a woman who experiences pain when people around her are in pain.
posted by alex1965 at 11:35 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

It's been awhile so I don't remember the details. But my legs have hurt when I've been in the presence of loved ones who were ill or suffering. Or even when I've thought about loved ones who were ill or suffering. I've never experienced that sensation watching TV or a movie.
posted by Stuka at 11:52 AM on January 18, 2023

I guess Mirror Neurons are involved: our primate brains seem to fire in a similar way whether we experience an event OR see someone else experiencing such an event. Not the legs, but I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see, or anticipate, someone getting hurt. Since teaching an Intro Human Physiology course, I've explained my experience as over-stimulating the sympathetic [fright, flight, fight] part of the autonomic nervous system . . . and mirror neurons.
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:58 AM on January 18, 2023 [5 favorites]

This might not be the case for you, since your experience is more limited to certain situations, but I offer it as an interesting data point that might point to how/why the mechanism works for you: mirror-touch synesthesia. Here's a fascinating article by a neurologist who has it, and how it helps his practice as a doctor.
posted by yasaman at 12:25 PM on January 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

This kinda happens to me, but I'd describe the sensation as being in my pelvis (the feeling isn't sexual in any way, it just happens to be felt in that area of my body). I get the exact same feeling when I experience a sudden adrenaline rush, like if someone cuts me off in traffic, or when I see someone else injured or even hear someone describe an injury. I have no idea if it's common or why it happens, but you aren't alone.
posted by potrzebie at 12:27 PM on January 18, 2023 [6 favorites]

I think you have unconsciously learned to cope with the threat of vasovagal syncope (fainting, colloquially) by sharply tensing the muscles in your legs: Management of vasovagal syncope: controlling or aborting faints by leg crossing and muscle tensing.
posted by jamjam at 12:49 PM on January 18, 2023 [4 favorites]

I feel this specifically when I see someone fall, I get a twinge in both knees, it feels like behind each kneecap. I always thought it was something reactionary or anticipatory as I sometimes experience the feeling when I think someone may fall, I have this feeling without fail whenever I see kids running around a wet pooldeck.
posted by dstopps at 7:32 PM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

If I look at (even a picture) of a sliced kiwi, my teeth feel like they're growing longer, painfully. It's happening a little right now with just thinking about the inside of a kiwi.

I've tried to investigate this before, but I think these pains are just a crossed nerve connection somewhere and you get a pain response along with whatever the normal brain response to "hearing about an injury" or "seeing a kiwi" is!
posted by euphoria066 at 8:58 PM on January 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

Every Little Thing also did a podcast episode on this.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:42 AM on January 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

It sounds like you may be clairsentient. I didn't provide a link because I don't know which page would be best to send you to, but you can look up clairsentience.
posted by itsflyable at 7:03 PM on January 19, 2023

I have the *exact* same thing. I even asked a similar question:

https://ask.metafilter.com/347116/Can-anyone-explain-this-psychosomatic-sensation-pain

I have no explanation for it except it's gotten more pronounced the older I get. I do a lot of meditation practice and notice it has increased over the years the more I have done this. I chalk it up maybe an increase in compassion, but it's very, very uncomfortable.
posted by sxtrumpeto at 11:47 PM on January 20, 2023 [2 favorites]