Frequent, Personalized Physical Touch Can Ease Pain, Anxiety: Study

Frequent, Personalized Physical Touch Can Ease Pain, Anxiety: Study
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A warm embrace, a gentle caress, a comforting hand—these tender acts of physical touch may seem like simple gestures, but a new study suggests they are vital for our health and happiness.

In an analysis of over 200 studies, researchers have found wide-ranging benefits that human contact can provide, from easing pain and anxiety to boosting the growth of fragile newborns.

From Hugs to Massage Therapy

The results of the meta-analysis were published in Nature Human Behavior.
A.C. Dahnke
A.C. Dahnke
Author
A.C. Dahnke is a freelance writer and editor residing in California. She has covered community journalism and health care news for nearly a decade, winning a California Newspaper Publishers Award for her work.