Human touch is one of the key components of massage therapy. As was powerfully illustrated by psychologist Harry Harlow's work with rhesus monkeys in the 1950s, humans and many higher mammals will sicken and sometimes even die when deprived of physical touch. Unfortunately, modern American society does not offer many avenues for nonsexual touch. Massage therapy can bridge the gap to provide comforting human touch.
Dr. Tiffany Field, researcher at Miami's Touch Research Institute, explains, "Touch is critical for children's growth, development and health, as well as for adults' physical and mental well-being. Yet, the American society is dangerously touch-deprived."
Massage for Healthy Infants
Dr. Ruth Rice, a Dallas psychologist, discovered that babies that received massage were ahead of their peers in neurological development and weight gain. Her study and those of others followed control groups of healthy infants who received normal care and study groups of healthy infants that received similar care plus a daily massage session. Benefits noted in the massage groups include better physical development, normalization of weight, better sleep and less pain.
Massage for Premature Infants
The benefits are boosted considerably when shifting to special needs infants. Dr. Tiffany Field's study of premature infants at the University of Miami's Touch Research Institute revealed that infants who were born prematurely experienced significant gains when they received daily massage. Their rate of oxygen saturation improved and they gained weight at a faster rate than other premature infants. They were also released from the hospital an average of 40 percent sooner than premature infants who did not receive massage therapy.
Human Touch for Older Children
During her work at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy, massage therapist Terrie Yardly-Nohr recounted that the children were eager to receive massage from her. "Every one of them had a different ache or pain and some had numb places where they wanted to feel again. These kids desperately wanted to be touched."
It is clear that the need for human touch and the value of massage therapy do not end when infants begin to mature. Studies of older children, especially those with medical conditions, clearly indicate that massage is a very important way to connect with them.
Geriatric Massage Therapy
According to Alan Jordan, massage educator and massage therapist, massage and human touch are not only for the younger set. Professional massage therapy provides a safe and secure way for older adults to have their touch needs met. When a person has lost a spouse and her children and grandchildren live far away, she rarely experiences nonsexual touch--perhaps only a few brief seconds during an occasional hug or handshake. Massage therapy offers human touch in a nonthreatening, healthy way.
Reduction of Stress
The stress-busting benefits of a relaxation massage are well known. Scientists are beginning to realize that one of the major factors in this relaxation response is human touch. Machines and mechanical devices may be able to achieve some positive response, but the degree of relaxation substantially increases with human touch. So far, no machine has been able to duplicate it.
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