The Power of Touch

Did you know there is now scientific proof that touching someone or giving someone a hug will actually cause changes in your body which will make you happier, more relaxed and less stressed?  According to the Touch Research Institute in Florida, hugging and touching each other has more medical, psychological and emotional benefits than anyone ever dreamed of.

And, yes, there really is a Touch Research Institute.  It is located at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine.  It was established in 1992 and is the first center in the world to focus solely on the study of touch and its relevance in medicine and science.  Teams of researchers from the best universities in the world have come to TRI to gather information and gain a better understanding of the therapeutic value of touch.  Their findings have been amazing.

Dr. Tiffany Field has studied the power of touch for many years.  As the director of RTI since its inception, she has witnessed how touch, in many different forms, can reduce pain and anxiety, ease depression and aggressive behavior, and lower heart rate and blood pressure.  Dr. Fields states that touch can also promote immune function and healing. 

Touching, hugging and even a simple hand shake literally make you happier.  When you experience touch, your brain’s vagus nerve is signalled.  When this happens, cortisol is decreased in the body and your stress level is lowered. 

Studies are proving that touch can lead to changes in how people think and act.  For example, students who were given a touch on the back or arm from a teacher were twice as likely to volunteer in class compared to those students who had no contact with their teacher.  In another study, it was found that if a doctor gave his or her patient a sympathetic touch such a holding the patient’s hand even for a few seconds, the patient estimated that the visit had lasted twice as long as it actually had.  When patients who had not received physical contact from their doctor were asked to estimate the length of their visit, they guessed a shorter time.   

            In yet another study on touch, women with breast cancer and HIV patients had an increase in natural killer cells after receiving a massage, strengthening their immune system.  As well, their levels of anxiety and depression were decreased.  Studies have shown that premature babies in NICU who were touched often gained weight at a faster rate than babies who were not touched as often.  After receiving massages, adults completed math problems much quicker and more accurately than those who had not been given a massage.

            Touch is beneficial to both the giver and the receiver.  Dr. Field trained elderly volunteers to give massages to infants.  After three weeks, the infants were calmer and the seniors had less anxiety and depression, had an improved mood, had more social contacts and fewer doctor visits!

            Give someone a hug, or even a handshake – it just might improve the health of both of you! At the very least, it will make you both happier.   Hugging for the health of it . . .  it’s a good thing!