BY DR. JOSHUA PHILLIPS, ND— Originally published in the Source weekly, from Dr Phillips’ monthly column, The Medicine Cabinet Within.
We are a culture that has gone through a massive transformation in the way we connect to one another and information over the last 20 years or so. Ironically, while we have the tech for such tremendous connectivity, we may have simultaneously lost some of the incentive for old-fashioned physical connection and closeness — trading down for endless pings of data and images. This has resulted, for many, in a deficit of one of the most basic and important aspects of human health and well-being: touch. Physical closeness and touch are one of the simplest and meaningful ways to contribute to our mental health and physiologic health — and to the health of others at the same time.
Human touch and physical connection are one of the fundamentals of well-being that could be considered as important as diet, exercise and all the other things we do to cultivate health in our lives. Sexual connection and relationships are obviously another level of intimate touch, but health benefits occur by just sharing friendly and affectionate touch in a nonsexual way.
A friend recently shared that she was, for a time, a cuddle therapist, and I was surprised that such a thing even existed. Evidently, she witnessed a lot of healing for the people she worked with by offering the basics of platonic, clothed cuddling, simply to address this basic human need. The very fact that this service has become a professional offering is a testament to the deep need for touch and connection, as well as the deficit of it in our culture.
Oxytocin is a hormone that has been referred to as the cuddle hormone, as hugging, cuddling, kissing and intimate connection stimulates its release. This hormone is very powerful, supporting us physically, mentally and emotionally in many ways. Its release supports trust and bonding between people and helps to reduce stress and pain, among many other healthful metabolic effects.
A dive into the literature on the topic of the health benefits of touch reveals a surprising amount of research, with not-so-surprising conclusions. Brief hugging and handholding demonstrated reduced blood pressure and cardiovascular reactivity in a 2003 study. Susceptibility to illness like viral respiratory infections may be decreased by those engaged in affectionate touch more than those who do not, as reported in a 2014 study. A study involving fibromyalgia patients demonstrated that therapeutic touch resulted in reports of improved quality of life and decreased levels of chronic pain.
It should come as no surprise that affectionate and therapeutic touch offers tremendous benefits as well for those struggling with issues of depression or anxiety. Human touch is another way to help regulate the body’s stress hormones like cortisol, while also supporting improved levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin, GABA and dopamine. These positive neurochemical changes not only lend to greater feelings of joy and contentment, but also have positive downstream effects, improving metabolic health in virtually every system in the body.
Of all age demographics, the elderly is the group that statistically receives the least amount of touch. This part of our population, along with the rest of us, struggled greatly during the COVID years to reconcile the crucial need for human touch and connection with perceived risks of infection. While we seem to have, for the most part, moved on from this tough time, for many the fear of closeness and touch endures.
Your author would argue that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and that we are inherently a communal species that benefits deeply on every level from close connections with friends and family, to include affectionate touch. Recent studies also indicate that a longer hug has even more benefit to the huggers. Five- to 10-second hugs, and even a prolonged 20-second hug (as long as both people are into it!), have even deeper positive ripples through our psyche and our physiology.
Knowing these things, we all carry a tremendous gift to ourselves and to those in our lives: the ability to reach out and offer a friendly hug or affectionate touch. These gestures not only bring a smile to us and anyone on the receiving end but can also be considered a real part of our self-care and care for others in our community.
Joshua Phillips, ND is a naturopathic physician and the director at Hawthorn Healing Arts Center in Bend. Appointments with Dr. Phillips are available by calling 541-330-0334 email info@hawthorncenter.com or visit our online request form.