4.5.2024
The power of touch
Discover the power of touch
Are you ready to discover the deep connection created by touch? The healing power of touch is a fascinating path that leads us to our innermost sensations.
Ever thought about how it feels when we gently massage our baby’s skin or are lovingly stroked ourselves? Tactile sensations are far more complex than we think. The sense of touch, our underrated gift, opens the door to the world for us and accompanies us from the very beginning – even as an embryo.
Touch is vitally important not only for adults but also for babies and toddlers. The centuries-old tradition of baby massage has proven to be a wonderful way to build a deep bond with our little ones while supporting their physical and emotional development.
Although science recognised the immense importance of touch comparatively late, studies show that regular massage for babies can lead to better weight gain and better sleep patterns. Massage not only affects well-being but also promotes neurological development and strengthens the immune system.
Since 1996 Leipzig University has been researching the effects of touch intensively. Psychologist Martin Grunwald stresses that touch has a profound impact on our well-being and can play a positive role in development, especially in babies and toddlers.
Businesses have long recognised the need for touch and offer numerous ways to meet it. From dedicated baby massage classes to reflexology foot massages, the range is huge. Touch not only reduces stress and has a relaxing effect, it also promotes the release of oxytocin and serotonin, which have positive effects on our immune system.
Even so, many people find it difficult to give themselves over to touch. Historical patterns of upbringing and social norms may have contributed to touch often being treated as taboo. Yet the need for touch is deeply rooted in us and plays an important role in well-being and in the bond between parent and child. Especially in a world where loneliness and mental illness are on the rise, it is crucial to raise awareness of the importance of touch and to create ways of meeting this need.
We came across a fascinating study that examines the effects of physical touch on the health of older adults and suggests that regular touch is associated with a reduced tendency towards chronic inflammation. Although the study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, its findings are relevant to our everyday lives too: touch plays an essential role in promoting health. Touch has the potential to reduce inflammation – in the study, CRP (C-reactive protein, used as a laboratory marker of inflammation) fell. This result may point to the enormous positive effects that gestures of affection such as hugs, kisses and a pat on the shoulder have for all of us.
