Physical Touch the “Mother of all Senses”: Importance in Patient Care and Child Development
Discover the Healing Power of Touch in Patient Care and Physical Development
Our touch is more than skin contact.
Touch is the most fundamental way we experience the world around us, from the beginning of life to the end.
After conception, the first sense that a baby experiences is also touch — the first skin contact that conveys emotions.
Years ago, a physical therapist who was also a teacher told me, “Touch is the mother of all senses.” She taught me how our touch could improve physical development and connect us to others.
There are many stories of how our touch, specifically massage, improves and saves lives-Improving functional skills and making miracles.
Thinking about it now makes me wonder how most people overlook the impact of a simple physical touch.
As we grow up, this sense of touch can feel like a natural part of our being, and we may need to realize how crucial it is to our physical, and well-being.
Touch is more than skin contact-it conveys love, comfort, support, and healing to those around us.
Touch Interventions of Medical Professionals
I was able to experience first-hand medical professional services when I got hospitalised a year ago, and physical touch is inevitable in the medical profession.
It is part of an essential facet of their job.
The New York Times article by Janice Angier shared a quote from Chris Dijkerman, a neuropsychologist at Helmholtz Institute of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, “Touch is so central to what we are, to the feeling of being ourselves, that we almost cannot imagine ourselves without it,” he said, “It’s not like vision, where you close your eyes and you don’t see anything. You can’t do that with touch. It’s always there.”
A Scene: Kangaroo Hold
If you have watched Grey’s Anatomy, there’s an episode where Doctor Alex Karev (one of the main characters) comforts and carries a premature baby whose health deteriorates.
You might doubt the credibility of this scene’s medical approach, but it is actually practice.
Kangaroo Hold, which Cleveland Clinic defines as a method of holding a baby to the chest for skin-to-skin contact. This method of caring supports the babies, especially those born early or with low birth weight, with their physical health.
Positive Touch Interventions of Family
Touch is a silent language, and it is frequently overlooked. In inpatient care, the family’s intervention and the medical professional ensure that a connection is built with the patient emotionally, helping them cope with stress.
A simple hug, tap, or any physical touch passes emotions and warmth to people. It may seem simple, but it has a significant impact on them.
In this generation, the rise of advanced smartphones has led to increased isolation among individuals and decreased physical activities and interaction, which may result in developmental delays.
Even though smartphones are used for communication and entertainment, this effect on people’s relationships in a setting is undeniably sad.
They have found that massage increases natural killer cells belonging to the immune system. These findings were also seen in other cases, such as HIV and breast cancer, in which natural killer cells increased.
In a study, massage therapy was found to influence the immune system. Another study also mentions that massage therapy decreases stress hormones, which helps the immune system to be strengthened.
Improving Physical Development
Therapies focused on touch, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and massage therapy, can promote physical development, especially in autistic children.
When I participated in a medical mission, I heard and saw different stories of how these therapies improve functional and motor skills.
These therapeutic services are for everyone, regardless of differences, as wellness is not exclusive but inclusive.
Healing and improving a life start in action, and action begins with touch.
Healing and improving a life start in action, and action begins with touch.
So, the next time you hug a loved one or hold someone’s hand, remember that your touch is more than just a physical sensation — it is a powerful expression of your humanity.
