Can a simple touch — the holding of a hand, a hug, a pat on the back — really ease another’s burden? The answer is yes, according to a recent study at the University of Colorado.
Dr. Pavel Goldstein, a Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience researcher, put 22 couples through a series of tests. The couples either sat in different rooms, sat together but did not touch, or sat together and held hands. Then the female member of the couple was subjected to a mild heat pain on her forearm for two minutes.
The study found that when the couples held hands, her pain decreased as her heart and respiratory rates synced with her partner’s. Quite simply, the touch eased the pain.
Dr. Goldstein was inspired to study the subject after witnessing the birth of his daughter four years earlier. He said: “My wife was in pain, and all I could think was, ‘What can I do to help her?’ I reached for her hand and it seemed to help. I wanted to test it out in the lab: Can one really decrease pain with touch, and if so, how?”
Reference: “Holding the Hand of a Loved One to Comfort Them Really Does Help Reduce Pain, a US Study has Shown,” www.telegraph.co.uk, (6/23/17)
From: http://www.illustrationsforsermons.com/
Image shows postage stamps on the theme symbol of love issued by Thailand in 2021.