HUGGING as a medicine - The power of touch

Hugging as a medicine- the power of touch, is often touted as a good way to solve a problem. Of course, hugs can help in many situations, from showing appreciation to beating loneliness and stress at work.

- Dr.Venkatraman Hegde and Dr. Nandhini V. Mohan

Our skin is our security system, our sensations detector and our gateway to the world around us. Touch is the very first sense we develop in the human embryo– less than eight weeks after being conceived, an embryo is barely 2.5 centimetres long and has neither eyes nor ears, but its skin is already highly developed.

“Hugging it out” is often touted as a good way to solve a problem. Of course, hugs can help in many situations, from showing appreciation to beating loneliness and stress at work.

The science behind why touch feels good!

The slow stroking involved in grooming stimulates a particular set of nerves – the afferent c-tactile neurons that are found only in hairy skin and are quite different to the usual nerves that convey information about touch, pain and pressure. These neurons respond only to light and slow stroking. They have a direct route into the brain, where they trigger the release of endorphins. Touch releases special hormones in our bodies and also inhibits stress hormones. Specifically, the right kind of touch can:

Increases oxytocin—this hormone is great for our heart and makes us feel connected to the world around us.

Drops cortisol—the stress hormone which makes us feel anxious and decreases our cognitive function.

Triggers dopamine—the pleasure hormone which makes us feel really, really good.

The Science behind hug