Researchers at the Baltimore school of medicine, have revealed that patients undergoing painful treatments, can have their pain levels halved by being played sounds of babbling brooks and shown pictures of mountains.

This positive effect of natural environments (known as Biophilia, trivia fans) works by distracting the part of the brain that interprets pain, so agonising situations stop and have a look at the view rather than slamming straight into your brain.

The research is now being commercialised in a “Bedscapes” soothing scenic sound and picture show, which researchers the makers are planning to use to calm patients undergoing endoscopies and bronchoscopies and other painful procedures.

At least you have a genuine scientific proof that hauling yourself up the highest mountain really isn’t half as painful as trudging along in the gutter of a main road. It’s just a crime that that’s been our only option recently.