The importance of touch has been well documented through numerous studies on newborn and pre-term infants for over four decades. We all "know" that infants fail to thrive or demonstrate significant bonding if they're deprived of warm, tactile stimulation. We "know" that this is a vital requirement for the development of security and contentment. So why do we seem to discount the continued need for human touch throughout the rest of our lives? Do we, as a society think that we have a certain required ration in order to reach adulthood and from then on we're fine to fend for ourselves, like a childhood vaccination? Or is it that we are so caught up in the stress and mayhem that constitutes living one day to the next that we just don't notice the absence of tactile stimulation that was once so important? More likely, we've convinced ourselves (or had ourselves convinced) that the comfort and warmth we depended on from being touched is just "for babies." We've grown up thinking that, like our toys, pacies or blankies, that our craving for touch is something we should out-grow and leave behind. But this just isn't so.
A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Nursing showed that hand and foot massages eased the grief of study participants who had recently lost a loved one to cancer (details here). The study followed 18 participants who were offered either a foot or hand massage. When reporting on their experiences later, every one of them used the word "consoling" or "consolation" to describe the sensation they derived from the massage. Reasons given by the participants for how the massage helped with their feelings of sadness and grief ranged from having "down" time when no one expected them to talk about their feelings; to gaining a sense of calm during the massage that they were able to call upon when later confronted with daily tasks in the wake of their loss; to feeling as if the therapist's caring was focused on them personally, giving them a sense of strength and connection.
And it's not just during times of grief that human skin-to-skin touch improves our out-look and well-being. In a 2004 study, participants explored the effectiveness of therapeutic touch as a treatment for pain due to fibromyalsia. They reported a significant improvement in their quality of life and a overall reduction in chronic pain. Furthermore, studies conducted in nursing homes on patients suffering symptoms of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease or geriatric senility used light, therapeutic touch to achieve a reduction in the wandering, pacing and tapping behaviors associated with these disorders. Especially impressive about these improvements is the fact that the therapeutic sessions lasted only 5-7 minutes twice per week yet were significant enough for these souls lost in the frightening landscape of dementia that they saw a decrease in anxiety and restlessness.
If the light, rhythmic touch of massage has been shown to bring true healing and well-being to people struggling with extraordinary circumstances, why should we question our own innate wisdom that our craving for human touch will feed our spirits and fortify our souls?
A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Nursing showed that hand and foot massages eased the grief of study participants who had recently lost a loved one to cancer (details here). The study followed 18 participants who were offered either a foot or hand massage. When reporting on their experiences later, every one of them used the word "consoling" or "consolation" to describe the sensation they derived from the massage. Reasons given by the participants for how the massage helped with their feelings of sadness and grief ranged from having "down" time when no one expected them to talk about their feelings; to gaining a sense of calm during the massage that they were able to call upon when later confronted with daily tasks in the wake of their loss; to feeling as if the therapist's caring was focused on them personally, giving them a sense of strength and connection.
And it's not just during times of grief that human skin-to-skin touch improves our out-look and well-being. In a 2004 study, participants explored the effectiveness of therapeutic touch as a treatment for pain due to fibromyalsia. They reported a significant improvement in their quality of life and a overall reduction in chronic pain. Furthermore, studies conducted in nursing homes on patients suffering symptoms of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease or geriatric senility used light, therapeutic touch to achieve a reduction in the wandering, pacing and tapping behaviors associated with these disorders. Especially impressive about these improvements is the fact that the therapeutic sessions lasted only 5-7 minutes twice per week yet were significant enough for these souls lost in the frightening landscape of dementia that they saw a decrease in anxiety and restlessness.
If the light, rhythmic touch of massage has been shown to bring true healing and well-being to people struggling with extraordinary circumstances, why should we question our own innate wisdom that our craving for human touch will feed our spirits and fortify our souls?
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