Andrew Huberman

The way the pain system works, we have a natural reflex

to rub to provide sort of broadly distributed medium pressure to an area that's in pain.

It actually deactivates some of the pain response within that area.

So like the rubbing of a wound, like we don't just rub our boo-boos because we learned to do that when we were kids.

It actually shuts down some of the nerves that transmit pain.

So that's why we have that reflex.

But you want to make sure that you don't squeeze your lymph nodes or put too much pressure on them.

Because again, your immune system is fighting things within those lymph nodes or is evaluating whether or not something needs to be destroyed by your immune system within those lymph nodes.

Now, some soreness can exist in the lymph nodes simply as a matter of swelling of the lymph nodes.

And that doesn't necessarily reflect infection, okay?

It can, but it doesn't necessarily reflect infection.

If it's of course coupled with symptoms, you know, stuffy nose, lethargy, things of that sort, chances are you're battling something.

And if you do notice that your lymph nodes are particularly swollen and you haven't done, for instance, like a really hard workout recently or not slept as much as usual recently, then you may be at the threshold of potentially getting sick and you want to take some measures

to get some extra rest, extra hydration.

Probably don't want to exercise too hard those days.

We've talked about this in previous episodes.

If you're feeling a little rundown, not sick, exercise can probably help you.

You're a little sleep deprived one night, exercise definitely can help you.

Two night sleep deprivation, and you certainly don't want to be exercising with a ton of intensity because you will get sick.

So those sore lymph nodes are a flag that your system is combating something.