Whether in giving or receiving, touch is as essential to human survival as is food. Infants deprived of touch, even when they are getting adequate nutrition, will fail to thrive. Elders isolated by loss of partners and friends become depressed not only because of the absence of social interaction, but also because of the simple loss of being touched.
We calm our pets by stroking them, we greet each other with a hug or a handshake, and we soothe our children by holding them. No other form of connection is as powerful and universal as touch.
Skin and the Brain The adult human lives inside an envelope of about 18 square feet of skin. Every square inch houses thousands of nerve endings and various kinds of sensory receptors, all working to tell the brain about its surroundings. The cold of an ice cube, the softness of a cat’s fur, a warm breeze, the caress of a loved one — all of these feelings are possible because of our skin. Oil versus water, hot versus cold, dull versus sharp, wet versus dry — our skin tells us about our environment and ourselves. When we touch something with our fingers, we’re not only sensing the object, we’re also feeling our own skin, our own boundaries.
Touch and Adults Ongoing research by The Touch Research Institute continues to prove that massage is an important therapy for many conditions. After a massage, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in saliva tests, examinations show an improvement in alertness and relaxation, depression scores decrease, and mental focus improves.
The exponential growth of the bodywork field is a testament to the value of safe, therapeutic touch. Of course bodywork can play an essential role in the healing of specific chronic or acute orthopedic conditions, but it also serves as a powerful aide in improving the quality of life for adults.
My client, Stan, was going through a nasty divorce. His wife of several years announced that she no longer loved him. He had friends to support him emotionally, but it seemed that the thing he missed the most was the nurturing touch of his partner. When he finished his Rolfing series with me he seemed anxious about leaving my care. I recommended that he continue getting regular massages with a massage therapist. “It’s really important that you get regular therapeutic touch through this process and, of course, keep working with your counselor,” I said. A few months later, he called to give me a report: “I’m so glad you recommended Doris. I’ve seen her weekly while continuing with my counselor. We both agree that the massage has made the difference in helping me to get past all this. I would have never realized how important massage was had you not suggested it.”
We often equate the need for physical closeness with the need for sex, but anyone who’s been in a close, long-term relationship understands that as time goes by sex becomes less frequent, however the need for nurturing touch remains strong. For those not in a relationship, massage can be a healthy way to get that much-needed human contact.
Touch and Children Those early statistical studies showed how vital touch is to developing infants. Researchers are also finding that giving massage to premature infants can improve their growth and overall health. A study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami found that when stable premature babies were given five, one-minute massages a day, they gained 47 percent more weight than their counterparts who didn’t get massage.
While most infant studies involve preemies, a 2001 study conducted by TRI showed that when mothers gave their infants a 15-minute massage before bedtime, these sleep-challenged kids went to sleep more quickly and were more alert during daytime hours. The list of studies goes on and on, but what’s most important to remember is that infants need touch to develop healthy nervous systems.
As kids grow up, they continue to need touch. Many school systems forbid teachers from touching kids for fear of litigation and the busy lifestyles of kids and working parents often keep kids from getting the touch they need. Touch deprivation may lead to early and inappropriate sexual activity or inappropriate peer touching instead of wholesome touch from parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends. The 1980′s advertising campaign “Have you hugged your kid today?” still has relevance when viewed from this perspective.
Clinical research and sociological studies link touch deprivation with aggression. A 2002 study reported that adolescents with a history of aggressive behavior showed less aggression and were less anxious after receiving a 20-minute massage twice a week for five weeks. Massage also reduces the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder so kids can concentrate better, and it’s even been found that the right kind of touch can help kids with autism relate better to teachers and family members.
Not only do we need to touch, we need to be touched. In the early months before babies learn about their hands, feet, toes and fingers, they need the touch of parents, caregivers, and family to develop. We retain that need our entire lives. Remember to savor touch the next time you’re lying on a massage table. Your therapist is not only working out tight muscles, she’s contacting your entire nervous system, communicating with you, calming you through pathways that were put in place before you were born.
