Research and benefits of touch therapies

There are more and more scientific studies done especially in America and UK about the benefits of human touch used as a method to improve the health of people on a physical level, psychological and emotional as well. 

Within Saint Clare’s Health Services we found a study regarding the use of human touch for beneficial health purposes among seniors. "Touch can be useful with cognitively impaired, institutionalized, or hospitalized older adults. Likewise, touch can be useful for improving comfort and communication"¹

In USA, Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine is the centre where touch is studied from a medical and scientific perspective. Numerous research studies they have done shows that "touch therapy promotes health and contributes to the treatment of disease" resulting into a general state of well-being.

According to Rowe, M. & Alfred, D (1999) in Journal of Gerontology and Nursing, and their study of "the effectiveness of slow-stroke massage for individuals with Alzheimer's disease facilitates relaxation and communication, promotes natural joint lubrication and increases the strength and muscles coordination"²

From everyday practice of our treatments as therapists we know that having a hand and feet massage will affect the whole body. By gently massaging these parts of the body, reflex points will be activated and the whole energetic system within the body will be balanced. This is simply because the surface of the skin has millions of touch receptors that transmit the sensation of touch to the brain. The receptors monitor things like pressure, temperature and vibrations on the skin; then they will send all these information through nerve signals to the brain. In this way each area of the body sends signals to a particular area of the brain.³

Our treatments even if short as 15 minutes can bring about mental and physical relaxation, improve circulation and lymphatic flow. Can also have results in the lenght and quality of sleep and release of stress, anxiety, feelings of depression due to a release in the tension in the muscles and the release of endorphins, the feel good chemicals.

A more scientific explanation is done by Candance B. Pert, Ph.D. whereby her research with endorphins has explained "the power of touch stimulates and regulates natural chemicals, ... to maximize our feelings of health and well-being"⁴

Everyday in our practice at Pure Massage we found that many elderly would greatly improve their health and we would like to encourage the practice of touch therapies in places like care homes where people do not have a chance to have treatments too often. 

Resources: 

¹The Use of Human Touch to Improve the Well-Being of Older Adults A Holistic Nursing Intervention Elizabeth Bush, R.N., M.S.N., A.P.R.N., B.C., N.C.T.M.B. . Journal of Holistic Nursing, Vol. 19, No. 3, 256-270 (2001)

²Rowe, M. & Alfred, D (1999) in Journal of Gerontology and Nursing

³Human senses, Touch and vision, BBC Documentary 

⁴Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., Molecules of emotions