How Gentle Touch Eases Loneliness, Lowers Blood Pressure, and Reduces Inflammation

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Touching is far more than just a love language.

Emerging research finds that physical contact is a cornerstone for optimal health in body and mind. It triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions that reduce stress, boost immunity, and promote bonding.

How It Helps the Body

Moderate physical touch such as hugging, patting on the back, and hand-holding has anti-inflammatory effects, according to a recent study in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. It found that such physical contact is linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate.

In another study, the Tellington Touch—a gentle touching method initially developed for calming horses—was used on patients about to get a blood draw. Using this method reduced patients’ blood pressure and heart rate, showing that touch physically calms the body.

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Moderate pressure touch stimulates pressure receptors under the skin that, in turn, slow the nervous system and the production of stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) and increase the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that could regulate pain sensation, Tiffany Field, who holds a doctorate in psychology and is the director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times. Lowering stress hormones promotes health in a number of ways, she added.

Everyday stressors such as screens, processed foods, electromagnetic fields, and toxins raise cortisol levels. Touch counteracts these modern burdens directly, according to Ms. Field.

How It Helps the Mind

Physical touch has well-known mental health benefits, according to Dr. Gayle Myers, an internist specializing in integrative medicine. “Touch is profoundly calming and healing,” she told The Epoch Times.

Physical contact is also linked to higher oxytocin levels. Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” is a vital neurotransmitter whose primary function is to promote social bonding and emotional connections.

Recent research supports this. A study published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology found that people experienced less loneliness and anxiety after physical touch. “This is a promising research avenue in terms of strategies to diminish loneliness and its negative impact on psychological and physiological well-being,” the authors wrote.

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Another study looked at touch deprivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of touch was tied to more anxiety and loneliness. People who craved touch the most were also affected the most. This reveals the vital role touch plays in managing distress.

The findings parallel what Dr. Myers sees in her clinical practice. “A compassionate touch reassures that everything will be OK and helps promote a brighter outlook,” she said. When deprived of touch, mental health suffers—in both givers and receivers.

How It Shapes Child Development

Skin-to-skin contact is known to benefit newborns. But research shows that a parent’s touch is crucial for child development beyond infancy.

One 2020 study found that children who lack loving touch from their mothers are more prone to neurodevelopmental disabilities. This builds on earlier research showing that parental touch correlates with better stress management in kids.

Dr. Myers said she had seen the beneficial effects of loving, gentle touch in her practice. “I have treated infants with osteopathy in the cranial field who could not nurse and failed to thrive,” she said. Through gentle osteopathic touch, the babies rebounded.

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“One of my greatest joys in medicine has been seeing the child nurse, bond with their parents, flourish, and grow into healthy children,” she said.

Touch Must Be Compassionate and Gentle

The benefits of physical touch are a two-way street, with the giver and the receiver gaining a sense of connection and community through the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine—and improved immunity, according to Dr. Myers.

The touch, she said, must be loving, kind, compassionate, and gentle for health benefits. “If the contact is rough, uncaring, and mechanical, it can cause higher stress and anxiety levels.”

Correction: A previous version of this article states that Dr. Gayle Myers was also a pediatrician. The Epoch Times regrets the error.