A touch can speak volumes about how a person feels—love, hatred, anger, pain, or joy—at the same time it can spark these feelings in those who are touched. Experimental studies demonstrate that a touch can facilitate growth and development not only among human beings but also among nematodes, rats, monkeys, and other animals. Early Chinese writings also spoke of the healing power of touch through massage; in this sense, massage therapy is a touch of health and – for this reason – it is becoming very popular especially among health and fitness enthusiasts.

1. FOUR BENEFITS OF
TOUCH FOR
HEALTH: EVIDENCE-
BASED

2. “a kiss may just be a kiss, a sigh may just be a sigh,
but a touch can change your life”
—(Ardiel, MSc & Rankin PhD)
A touch can speak volumes about how a person
feels—love, hatred, anger, pain, or joy—at the same
time it can spark these feelings in those who are
touched. Experimental studies demonstrate that a
touch can facilitate growth and development not only
among human beings but also among nematodes, rats,
monkeys, and other animals. Early Chinese writings
also spoke of the healing power of touch through
massage; in this sense, massage therapy is a touch of
health and – for this reason – it is becoming very
popular especially among health and fitness
enthusiasts.
This article briefly presents four health rewards of
therapeutic touch based on findings of research.
Studies show that the touch of a massage therapist is a
touch for health that can make a difference in the life of
a client. It can:

3. 1. Significantly reduce blood pressure and heart
rate
When we experience stressful events, our blood
pressure level increases and our heart beats faster
than the normal 60 to 100 beats per minute. A 30-
minute massage on the back, neck, and chest lowers
systolic and diastolic BP by 4–8% while myofascial
trigger point therapy reduces heart rate. According to
Mahshid Givi ―massage therapy was a safe, effective,
applicable and cost-effective intervention in controlling
BP of the pre-hypertension women...‖

4. 2. Reduce stress hormone levels and anxiety
Stressful events disrupt homeostasis or equilibrium. The
body responds to this disruption by producing and
releasing hormones such as epinephrine or cortisol. But
chronic stress may be too much for the body to cope.
When we are unable to cope with stress psychological and
physical symptoms such as headaches, loss of appetite,
and muscle tension appear. A 20- to 30-minute massage
can certainly help. Feld and his co- researchers found that
a chair massage provides relaxation and lowers anxiety.

5. 3. Strengthen the immune system
The job of the immune system is to defend the body
against the attack of foreign invaders. Several factors such
as stress, nicotine, and sedentary life weaken the immune
system. One way to strengthen the immune system is
massage therapy. Rapaport and his colleagues noted that
a single session of Swedish massage therapy increases
lymphocytes (white blood cells that fight diseases). This
increase boosts immune function.

6. 4. Enhance sports performance and minor injury
rehabilitation
Sports massage is thought to help the readiness of
athletes for competitions. Several studies reviewed by
Brummit show that sports massage increases sports
performance and helps in the recovery of sports-related
musculoskeletal injuries. However, Brummit emphasizes
that further studies are still needed.

7. Touch is a universal language. The touch of a
massage therapist is especially given with a specific
purpose—to relieve stress, to lower blood pressure
and heart rate, to strengthen the immune system, or
to promote injury rehabilitation.
Technology is giving us the opportunity to learn. In
the comfort of our homes we can watch videos on
touch for health or listen to touch for health tutorials.
They take time but they are worth the effort. For the
avid reader you can always check at Massagetutor.