Can touch therapy aid in managing chronic mental illnesses?
If you take a moment to observe you will notice that people hold hands almost all the time, be it couples holding hands or a friendly back slap between friends, but have you ever stopped and wondered why we do this?
Although it may appear very frivolous from the outside, there is much more to it than meets the eye. Touch is incredibly effective, although it is subjected to very strict social norms. Only specific individuals are eligible for our touches. While it’s sometimes necessary to ask for touch, there are other situations where it’s natural and awkward to do so.
Studies going back to the 1800s demonstrated that babies who were not cuddled beyond their basic needs were more likely to die of foetal failure to thrive.
Therapeutic touch (TT), also known as touch therapy, was first developed in the 1970s by Dora Kunz, a clairvoyant, and Dolores Krieger, a professor of nursing at New York University.
The effect of TT is sometimes described as relaxing. Therapeutic touch has been shown in multiple trials to lower anxiety in patients and the elderly.
Touch therapy, or massage therapy, is not just good for our muscles; it’s good for our entire physical and mental well-being. Research shows that even a single touch can help us feel less anxious and stressed, more protected and secure, and less alone.
The use of complementary and alternative medicine techniques has significantly increased based on the fact that many patients like the idea that complementary therapies seem natural and non-toxic. Moreover, for the reason that some complementary therapies can help with specific symptoms or side-effects.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine places therapeutic touch in the biofield energy category. Biofield therapies are non-invasive therapies in which the practitioner explicitly works with a client’s biofield (interacting fields of energy and information that surround living systems) to stimulate healing responses in patients.
TT, which involves stimulating pressure points on the skin, reduces cortisol levels and releases oxytocin, according to a study at the University of Miami Research Institute. This hormone can increase trust and even lessen the discomfort associated with common stressors like family strife or conflict at work.
Another peer-reviewed study on the rapid evidence assessment of recent therapeutic touch research, physical nursing interventions have been developed to help or even cure patients by balancing their energy fields. By clearing obstructions in the biofield, in short, therapeutic touch seeks to balance, fill, and improve the flow of human energy.
Therapeutic touch treatment begins with concentration, the practitioner consciously focuses on clients with sincere intentions to help, while at the same time, they activate mental, and physical relaxation and build a state of consciousness.
Energy balance is maintained through quiet hand movements and rhythms that direct and harmonise the flow of energy. The client’s energy is then revalued, and the treatment is repeated if necessary. Touch therapy is important where nurses can be directly near patients and provide alternative nursing actions to overcome physical complaints due to the diseases’ responses.
For example, although limited research has been conducted concerning ADHD on the efficacy of bio-touch healing for ADHD, a few patients say that after having bio-touch healing sessions, their symptoms have improved. These enhancements could come in the form of enhanced focus, better impulse control, and general well-being.
Additionally, in contrast to pharmaceutical and psychological therapy, complementary therapies are frequently used to treat anxiety disorders. Self-massage is thought to moderate heart rate and reduce cortisol levels, according to evidence.
Furthermore, in “Clinical Studies of Biofield Therapies: Summary, Methodological Challenges and Recommendations”, alternative therapy can reduce adverse symptoms of hemodialysis, as well as sleepiness, blood pressure, respiration rates, discomfort, muscle tension and stress.
If practised properly, touch therapies have the potential to transform the practice of medicine, and are easy on the money.
Perhaps we should make it a point to incorporate this type of therapy into our everyday routines if stress reduction can enhance our mental and physical well-being and if human contact makes us feel less stressed.