Photo Credit: Eric Cuthbert on Flickr.com
We all do it, whether it be a handshake, pat on the back, hug, high-five, or foot massage, we are a touchy species. Many times we use touch to help convey an emotion, but research suggests that it can do even more. When we touch each other there are chemical reactions too, and the effects are can be surprising.
1. Physical Therapy Therapeutic recovery is a well-known benefit of touch. Hundreds of thousands of people see massage therapists for a variety of issues such as joint and muscle pain, sports injuries, and physical/mental trauma. One study shows that therapeutic touch actually reduces the behavioral symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s in as little as 15 minutes a day!
2. Decreased Stress After a back massage most of us feel great, relaxed, and less stressed. In a 2010 study, by Dr. Mark Rapaport, participants who got a medium intensity Swedish massage, had less stress hormones in their blood after the massage.
3. Boosted Immune System In that same study, participants also had an increased number of white blood cells, which fight off sickness in the body.
4. Lower Blood Pressure A North Carolina study reported that after spending 10 minutes in close contact with their partner, women had lowered blood pressure.
5. Better Relationships Many studies have suggested that the more touching involved in a relationship, the better off the relationship was.
- Preliminary results of a Harvard study shows that couples that touch each other often (holding hands, squeeze of the leg or arm, etc) are reporting more satisfaction in their relationship.
- A Berkeley study of NBA teams, noted that the “touchiest” teams often performed better, the touchiest being Boston Celtics then the Lakers, which were the top two teams at the time.
- A light or quick touch has been proven to release oxytocin, a hormone that helps us to bond with other people.
6. Child Development Just like the relationship studies, there are numerous studies showing that touch has positive effects on child development; some of them are very drastic.
- In a study dealing with premature babies, babies who received three fifteen-minute periods of skin-on-skin contact gained 50% more weight than those who didn’t receive that treatment.
- In Korea, infants who received additional auditory, touch, and visual stimulation had higher growth rates and weight gains than those who didn’t.
There are numerous ways to increase touching and get all these benefits. Hug your loved ones, schedule a massage, learn to ballroom dance, do yoga, Pilates, Self-Myofascial massages or try “The Stick”. We all have the tools necessary to better our lives; we just need to get in touch with them!
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