Holding hands can sync brainwaves, ease pain, study shows
Summary: Pain
researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Haifa
did a studying showing just how far-reaching the simple act of touch can be.
They have been studying a phenomenon known as “interpersonal synchronization”, which
is the idea that people physiologically sync with those they are with.
Pavel Goldstein is the first to look at brain wave synchronization and its
relation to pain. He was compelled to do so after the birth of his daughter
because it was through that experience he realized holding his wife’s hand helped to eased her
pain. He decided to take this idea to the lab in hopes to unveil the science
behind a healing touch. They found through their study that “…pain totally
interrupts this interpersonal synchronization between couples and touch brings
it back.” Touch is powerful and it may even activate pain-killing reward
mechanisms in the brain. So if ever you find yourself in a situation where you
need to console someone, keep in mind the significance of a small touch.
Reflection: It is inevitable that in some point in
life one will experience pain. No one is immune to sadness or suffering,
therefore everyone requires companionship, even if it’s in a small capacity. I
learned in a previous psych course that while we know avoidance of smoking,
drinking, drugs, and unhealthy eating habits may aid in prolonging our lives, nothing
weighs heavier on ones potential lifespan than interpersonal relationships. Just
by having strong interpersonal relationships you may add up to seven years to
your life. Nothing else has such a powerful impact on longevity. Being
surrounded by other people and having loving, thoughtful relationships is paramount.
I know whenever I have anything going on I turn to my friends and others around
me to help ease any doubt.
I think that this article is extremely important not only for the psychological benefits but just for our society as whole. Everyone has been in that semi-awkward situation when a loved one is hurting, and you run into the wall of having no idea of what you can do for them. But all they may need is a loving touch whether it be in the form of holding hands, or a hug. In many of my other psychology, and social science classes, there is always extensive conversation of how humans are social beings. An individual could quite literally go mad without having some kind of interaction with another human being. So understanding that holding hands, a hug, a pat on the back, can ease someones pain is significantly important.
ReplyDeleteThis article has me relating to a topic called "kangaroo care", skin to skin contact from adults to babies.Not only do adults experience pain or uncomfortable situations so do babies. For example if a baby is born with a drug dependency this can be a difficult time for the baby. They can experience inconsolable crying, stomach issues, vomiting and diarrhea. Kangaroo care has shown to have many benefits such as improves heart/respiratory rates, oxygen rates, regulating temperature, faster weight gain and many more.Some hospitals have put in this program in place to help babies.This just proves how powerful touch can be.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a good connection, I would have never thought of that.
DeleteI agree with Savannah, great point!
DeleteThis is a very interesting article. I had known and learned in Human Development and Infant and Child Psychology that a baby that was in the decline after being born could show improvements with skin-on-skin contact, as Sarah was saying. A baby with its mother (or even with contact with its sibling, if it was a twin) can show an increase in birth weight, and can help relax the baby (as it helps to stabilize the babies heart rate, breathing, and body temperature). I never thought about how beneficial adult touch could be for someone who is feeling sad or ill.
ReplyDeleteReading about this study reminded me I once heard that some couples may have synchronized heartbeats and other physiological processes. While this may or may not be true, it is fascinating to contemplate the significance in touch in constituting a fundamental aspect of the human experience. It is no wonder that interpersonal relationships can extend one's lifespan by seven years; the element of touch within social interactions can give a genuine sense of fulfillment for people. This could easily evoke potential discussion points for the evolutionary origin or advantage for the effect of touch. Great article!
ReplyDeleteThis discussion of the power of touch reminds me of oxytocin and how the book, “Brain Rules,” showed how this hormone is released and brings a sense of togetherness and community to connect people. While this specific article demonstrates how touch can bring people closer, other examples discussed in the book such as a choir singing together can cause the release of oxytocin to strengthen social ties and relationships during a strong bonding experience. I believe these findings support a more holistic and natural approach by focusing on personal relationships and the power of good feelings from others rather than only looking to medicine to “cure” people.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to see what the simplicity of touch can do. Not only is it great for in pain, but even for emotional pain as well. When those who are suffering from depression or anxiety the smallest form of touch or a hug can help calm a person by lowering their heart rate. I remember in personality class we were talking about therapy and how my professor who is also a therapist thought that if some of his patients had more affectionate family members, the connection and soothing you can get from physical touch can make the largest difference.
ReplyDeleteTouch from a loved one can be quite helpful. The body can release pain relievers naturally, and this loving touch does help. It may go far back as to when we were babies and we were picked up whenever we got upset. Hugs are also common to give to someone who is hurting, either physical or emotional. There are even studies done of when babies do not get picked up or experience touch that can effect them later in life. Touch is needed for normal development doing childhood and it grows with us. There were also rat studied done where the mother would or would not lick their babies, this may be the same as touching for us, and the babies that experienced the licks turned out different than those who did not experience the licks.
ReplyDeleteThis article is such an interesting and incredible find; the idea that touch can be healing is so important when it comes to the care and wellbeing of others. It makes me think of those who help the elderly, my aunt was a nurse in a nursing home for many years and one of the first things she told me was that they just like to hold you hand. It also brings me back to when my grandma was very ill, she lost the ability to communicate and could barely open her eyes but had nightmares consistently. The nurses could not figure out how to calm her down when she would wake up in complete terror. So for the few weeks before she passed away I spent my days with her and when she would wake up I would sit by her and hold her hand and rub her head and she would start to calm down. I realized that what she needed afterwards was comfort and a loving touch. I think this article speaks volumes to that experience and to the experiences my aunt had. A loving touch can really be more healing than people realize.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading something similar about the impact of touch on pain reduction for a different class. The implications of the benefits of touch are profound, as many others have discussed, in relation to the care of infants. I'm curious though, if touch only produces the reduction of pain responses in instances when the touch recipient has formed a bond with the source of touch. Additionally, it would be interesting to learn if there are differences in reduction of physical pain as well as psychological pain. Comparing this study to the body of knowledge many of us have regarding the importance of interpersonal relationships causes me to believe that pain reduction would be universal. Lastly, this article made me think of the "professional cuddler" occupation that I've seen in videos on social media. I wonder if there's a physiological basis to that occupation.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of interpersonal synchronization in general. I have done a lot of reading on the healing power of touch in terms of PTSD symptoms. I know that there is research saying that hugs can be extremely soothing for people during flashbacks, with the exception of some abuse victims who are triggered by touch. But with permission and prior discussion with a loved one, it seems that hugs can bring comfort for a few different reasons, but one of which is that the gentle pressure of a hug or holding someone's hand can be grounding for people who are having difficulty staying connected to themselves in the present. This can come in to play on a different side of the spectrum for PTSD, which is dissociative symptoms. Often people have certain sensory experiences they prefer to ground them during dissociation and for many people, touch is the most direct and effective way to bring them back to reality and re-establish a feeling of safety, security, and awareness for the person struggling. Of course, the caveat being always ask for permission to touch someone during PTSD symptoms because it can be triggering. I found this article really interesting in describing this phenomenon in a new context for me.
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