I’ve used the process of touch as part of my therapeutic approach for nearly forty years. It’s worked well for me and my patients.

I pay the closest attention to the degree to which my methods alleviate someone’s immediate symptoms: back pain, headache, or joint pain, for instance.

What is also important, even if I pay less attention to it, is the overall boost in health someone gets from treatment that’s delivered via the process of touch.

The benefits of touch are extensive. It relieves stress and soothes pain. It also boosts your immune system to make you less susceptible to infection.

Here are two articles that document some of the latest research in these areas:

Touch and stress hormones

Touch and the common cold

I’m convinced my patients are better able to fight infection. They get fewer colds and other illnesses, and when they do get them, they have an easier time rebounding back to health.