Healing Power of Touch

Did you know that YOU have healing power, literally at your fingertips?

The simple act of touching – not necessarily in a romantic manner – is so powerful that it can slow your heart rate, decrease your blood pressure, and strengthen your immune system!

Our culture is not very affectionate, and we are losing out on the benefits of regular physical interaction with others. The healing power of touch is so necessary for life that babies not touched regularly don’t grow and develop normally, and children who are not lovingly touched enough are more likely to be violent as adults.

It's common sense that a hug at a stressful time, a handshake after an important meeting or just cuddling at the end of the day help us relax, leaving behind negativity and worry. Now researchers are investigating whether this feel-good energy has an impact on our well-being.

Are there health benefits to touch? 

When we experience friendly, affectionate touch, our bodies release oxytocin, which is sometimes called the love hormone. Oxytocin's effects include lowering blood pressure, decreasing the stress-related hormone cortisol and increasing pain tolerance. It is released through friendly touch,

HOW TOUCHING HELPS

It’s very common these days to live most of our lives in our heads. Are you experiencing the constant chatter of to-do lists, errands, worries, decisions and criticisms?

You are not alone.

This mental chatter disconnects you from your body and depletes your energy. In fact, it is just another form of stress that over time pulls the energy from your body and keeps it stuck in your head.

When the time comes for rest and relaxation, you may find that your mind cannot stop. Even sleep can become more difficult, further depleting your energy.

From the time we are babies, we long for the touch of our mother or father. As children grow, they usually put their arms up and want to be embraced or held.

During the preclinical years of medical school, we all begin to view touch in a different way. Through physical examination courses, we learn how to palpate an abdomen or spleen, auscultate the heart, and feel for lymph nodes.

At first, laying hands on a classmate can be uncomfortable. It becomes even more nerve-wracking when you are on the wards during your 3rd and 4th years with actual patients.

Both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical students have to learn the art of touch related to physical examination in order to graduate medical school.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.   

 Thank you …REGULAR TOUCH ESTABLISHES YOUR MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO:

• Decrease anxiety
• Increase the number of white blood cells
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase endorphin levels (your feel-good hormones)
• Help you sleep better.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate healing touch into your daily routine:

• Offer to give a friend a back rub – then switch.
• Borrow a custom from Europe and kiss people hello. If that is too intimate, give hugs instead.
• Pat people on the back or arm as gentle reassurance.
• Schedule regular therapeutic full-body massage. Something is better than nothing, so even 15 or 30 minutes makes a difference.
• Get foot massages or foot reflexology – these forms of healing touch allow your energy to move from your head into your abdomen, which is your “energy powerhouse.”
• Don’t be afraid to ask for a hug – your body and your mind both need it!

SOLAR TOUCH

You probably know that the sun’s rays are therapeutic. Why else would we vacation in warm, sunny climates? You may also know that decreased sunlight is linked to seasonal depression, especially in the winter months.

While we’ve recently become more and more fearful of the sun’s rays, safe exposure to sunlight is actually very beneficial. It provides a healing touch that affects the chemistry of your brain and the functioning of your body.

Especially in winter, make sure you expose at least 80% of your bare body to 30 minutes of sunlight regularly so that you benefit from the sun’s healing power. If your immune system is compromised this may mean that you schedule a vacation in the sun each winter.

Sunlight is an important healing tool and it is free. Of course, the vacation might not be.

This year, make a commitment (to yourself and those around you) to touch more. From a kiss on the cheek to a quick massage, small changes can yield big health dividends. So take your health into your own hands and feel the power of healing touch.

Want to add word or two? 

Adding Touch to Your Day

Without thinking about it, some people can go hours, days or even weeks without any physical contact in their lives. Adding touch to your day is a simple way to harness its health-maximizing effects of less stress, pain management and a healthier body and mind. 

Remember that touch doesn't only have to mean being touched; giving touch in healthy ways, from a hug to a handshake to a pat on the back, benefits you—and the person on the receiving end. And you don't have to be in a relationship to do it.

Even a quick touch like a high-five (for those friends who hate to hug) can be beneficial.

Your comment ….?

Looking for your daily oxytocin boost? 

Try the tips below:

• Cuddle. You don't have to talk or gaze deeply into someone's eyes, but you can cuddle with your partner, child or pet.
• Hug hello (and goodbye for that matter). Greet friends and family with a quick embrace to maximize touch in your day.
• Find Fido. Touch doesn't have to be person to person. Use your down time to groom or pet your dog or let your cat nap in your lap as you make phone calls.
• Jump in bed. Having more sex will increase your touch time, and time spent between the sheets can positively impact your relationship, too. 
• Schedule a massage. Book-in a session with a trusted therapist will leave you relaxed and refreshed.
• Try a solo massage. Using lotion or massage oil, relieve neck, arm, leg and scalp tension using the tips of your fingers to massage in a circular motion. Self-massage tools, such as canes (to massage your back) or kneading tools can help with hard-to-reach spots or tough knots.
• Get classy. Yoga and Pilates classes offer hands-on adjustments from qualified instructors that can help strengthen your core and provide a dose of touch.
• Hold hands. Don't wait for someone to initiate it—go for it yourself! This simple gesture can bring the spark back to a long-time relationship, add some sizzle to a new one, and even show someone special (your child, parent, grandparent, sibling or best friend) that you care.
• Get a pedicure. Snag a snazzy new nail colour and a serving of healthy touch.
• Pat someone on the back. Congratulate friends and co-workers on their accomplishments with a celebratory pat on the back.

Continue to practice small acts of humanity to sharpen their people skills and the ability to place patients at ease.

Don’t be afraid to offer a hug to a patient – it can help you to build a great patient base which becomes more like a family as time goes on.

Do not underestimate the healing power of touch. You may touch your patients during a physical exam, but more importantly, you may touch their hearts.

That is when you know that all of the time spent studying was truly worth it.