Touch Therapy Reduces Stress
A popular LA Public Relations firm recently wrote about the new study published in Psychosomatic Medicine and endorsed by Bridges To Recovery has shown that couples who are more physically affectionate are likely to enhance each others’ health simply through physical contact.
The study involved couples who received training in ‘warm touch enhancement’ and were instructed to practice this technique at home. These couples were shown to have higher levels of oxytocin, also known by the monikers ‘cuddle chemical’ and ‘love hormone’. They also had lowered levels of alpha amylase, which is an indicator of stress levels.
It seems that the mental and physical health of an individual are directly linked to social and emotional support received by that individual. The support offered by spouses to each other is also of particular importance. Physical touch that is non-sexual in nature has received little attention from the scientific community and such theories have often met with derision and scorn. The fact is, however, that actions such as hand-holding, sitting or lying while cuddled, and simple hugs are beneficial to the mental and physical well-being of an individual.
Researchers investigated this effect by assigning a total of 36 married couples to either a Couple Contact Enhancement group or to a ‘monitoring only’ group that served as a control and comparison group. The couples in the contact-enhancement group received instruction in ‘listening touch’, which involves greater awareness of a partner’s mood through touching of their shoulders, neck, and hands. They also received training in the art of shoulder and neck massages. These couples were to practice these techniques together for half an hour three times every week for a total of four weeks.
The people assigned to the control group, on the other hand, were simply asked to keep a detailed record of their acts of physical affection without altering their normal behavior during this period of time.
During the study, participants had their amylase and oxytocin levels, and blood pressure continually monitored. The researchers also tested for levels of cortisol, which is a hormone produced as a bodily response to stress.
Researchers found that, after the first week, couples in the contact-enhancement group had greater levels of oxytocin in their saliva than the couples in the control group. They also found that these levels remained evidently higher in the contact-enhancement group than the control group for the rest of the duration of the study. At the tail end of the study period, the couples in the enhancement group also exhibited lower levels of salivary amylase than the couples in the control group.
The contact enhancement training was also found to reduce blood pressure in the couples involved after the four week was concluded. Cortisol levels, however, remained constant in individuals in both groups.
The data gathered from this study suggests that warm contact between partners may be particularly beneficial in cardio protection in the case of men. The findings of the study will be of great benefit to those scientists studying the effects of positive interactions between martial couples in the prevention and reduction of diseases related to stress.