The Wellcome Collection, is a medical museum in London which explores health and human experience. In early 2020, they partnered with the BBC to conduct the ‘Touch Test’; the world’s largest study on touch and human contact. 40,000 people took part, from 112 countries worldwide, and the study started just before the coronavirus pandemic arrived. At this point they couldn’t have fully realised how touch-deprived we would become.
BBC radio produced a 5 part mini-series called the 'Anatomy of Touch’, which told real stories and discussed all things touch, supported by a panel of experts and statistics from 'The Touch Test'. Some of the stories were very moving and highlighted the importance of having enough safe touch in our lives. A common response from the survey, was that most people felt like they were not getting enough touch in their lives. This indicates how people were feeling before the pandemic. A lot has changed since then, and current social distancing measures mean that many of us are missing out on the physical touch of another human being.
Some interesting points about touch:
• Touch is the earliest sense we develop. In the womb, the foetus experiences touch before it can smell, hear or taste.
• The skin is the largest organ of the human body, covering a surface area of two square metres.
• The touch of another human being can reduce stress. Research has shown that humans perform
better during a stressful task when they have safe touch.
What impact does touch have on our health?
Researcher Micheal Banissy from Goldsmiths University has said that touch has been linked to reduced anxiety, pain relief and improved immune system responses, a greater sense of wellbeing and a lower feeling of loneliness.
Professor Tiffany Field, the director of the Touch Research Institute, has conducted research surrounding touch and massage therapy. Studies show that when having a massage, pain symptoms are reduced and immune function is improved. The immune function is very responsive to the skin being moved. The whole nervous system slows down and enters into a relaxed state when you experience touch through massage or perhaps being hugged. Stress hormones are reduced, and the cells which guard us against infections and viruses are saved. We need more touch to enhance our immune function. Yoga, fast walking, and riding your bike are all activities which can stimulate your pressure receptors - so during a lockdown it is important to try and activate these daily.
Professor Merle Fairhurst studies the health benefits of touch. In the brain, during a hug or a massage, there is a stress release effect and cortisol levels are reduced. We also get a reward response in our brain. Dopamine, released by the anticipation of touch. The happy hormone, Oxytocin, is released when our pressure receptors are stimulated, and there is an increase in Serotonin, which is the body's natural anti- depressant and pain-relief chemical.
A recently study where participants were injected with a cold virus, showed that the more hugs the participants gave in a month, the less likely they were to develop cold symptoms.
Conclusion
If you are feeling touch-deprived, experts recommend seeking out safe touch, massage and exercise. During the pandemic, when we are physically distancing more and more, remember to frequently hug the people in your life who you are able to safely, and have a massage when you feel it safe, with your practitioner wearing full PPE - it is beneficial to your health. Touch can reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, improve your immune function and increases oxytocin and serotonin levels.
