Good Back Scratchers, Why Buy the Old-Fashioned Stuff

It’s not the high-tech back scratcher, but the old-fashioned one that is one of the most effective of all haptic devices. Let's look at why you should stick with the old stuff if you are looking to buy a really good back scratcher.

Thanks to a recent study conducted by Wake Forest University researchers, we now know what is going on in the human brain when we scratch. Until recently, no one understood exactly why scratching feels so pleasant. Now, I will tell you.

Dermatologist Gil Yosipovitch at Wake Forest University looked at fMRI scans of the brains of 13 healthy individuals while their backs were scratched with a back scratcher. They scratched for 30 seconds and rested for the same length of time repeatedly for a total of 5 minutes.

According to Yosipovitch, areas of the brain responsible for storing negative memories and emotions were less active during scratching periods. This reduced activity took place in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain, known for being the center of aversion to unpleasant sensory experience, as well as the posterior cingulate cortex of the brain, an area associated with bad memories. With the scratching feeling most intense, activity in these places became the least noticeable.

The researchers also noticed that certain areas showed more activity during back scratching sessions, including the secondary somatosensory cortex, responsible for the sensation of pain, as well as the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with compulsive behavior.

It is not surprising that scratching suppresses the emotional components of itch and brings relief. More so is the fact that, an increased activity in the prefrontal cortex may be responsible for the compulsion to keep on scratching.