Curses! Ah, that feels much better...

SWEARING after injury may be good for your health, new research suggests.

Scientists from Keele University found that letting forth a volley of foul language can have a “pain-lessening effect”.

To test the theory, students placed their hands in a bucket of ice cold water while swearing repeatedly.

They then repeated the exercise but, instead of swearing, repeated a harmless phrase instead.

Researchers found that volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged in the icy water for longer when repeating the swear word, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

The team believes the pain-lessening effect occurs because swearing triggers the “fight or flight” response.

The accelerated heart rates of the students repeating the swear word may indicate an increase in aggression, in a classic fight or flight response of “downplaying feebleness in favour of a more pain-tolerant machismo”.

The research proves that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and why it still persists today.