ARTICLE: Nurturing Touch Technique Shown to Change Brain Activity and Reduce Distress

CuddlebudBruce

I can't across this article and find it very interesting. I thought you might enjoy reading it as well.

Nurturing Touch Technique Shown to Change Brain Activity and Reduce Distress
https://neurosciencenews.com/touch-therapy-trauma-20178/

SleepySheep1

This is interesting, but I'd like to note that this study has quite a few limitations which should be taken into account when examining the validity of their findings.

1. No control group
2. A small number of participants
3. Self-reported values making it more subjective and less than conclusive.
4. Not peer reviewed.
5. "Havening" is trademarked under a company promoting these therapies, and seems to have paid for this study.
6. A small, randomized controlled trial in 2018 explored havening’s potential usefulness as a pain management technique after surgery. However, the results of this study indicated the efficacy was less than they originally claimed.

Havening didn’t seem to make a difference in the participants’ pain levels or their use of pain medication, either at the time of the study or when the researchers followed up a month later.

7. No linking to actual study, which can be found here

Overall it is not new scientific information that positive touch is correlated to increases in certain positive neurotransmitters in our brain.
The basis for their claims beyond this are less than well-tested and come across as a bit pseudoscientific.

But there's no harm in it, and maybe this will be useful to someone!

Here's the full method for those interested:

1. Your care provider will ask you to rate your current level of emotional distress. You might say “8 out of 10” or “high,” or describe your concern in one word, such as “scared” or “angry.”
2. You’ll then be instructed to clear your thoughts or focus on something positive and calming.
3. Next, you’ll begin tapping lightly on your collarbone as you slowly blink twice.
   As you continue to tap your collarbone, you’ll close your eyes and count down from 20. Your practitioner will ask you to imagine yourself doing some sort of visually oriented task, such as walking down stairs or removing items from a drawer. With each number counted, you’ll visualize taking one step or one item from the drawer.
4. With open eyes, you’ll cross your arms and then perform a series of eye movements. You might, for example, be asked to look left, right, up, and down, then roll your eyes in a complete circle, first clockwise and then counterclockwise.
5. Next, you’ll close your eyes again. Your practitioner will ask you to hum a simple song, such as “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” As you hum, they’ll use gentle touch to stroke your forehead or arms — or, if you prefer not to be touched, you can perform this action yourself.
6. At this point, they’ll ask you to assess your level of distress a second time.
   The process then repeats, though your provider may ask you to use a different visualization or song.
7. You’ll relax your arms and perform another series of eye movements as your provider strokes your arms or forehead a few more times. They may use a phrase or mantra such as “release,” “let it go,” or “almost there,” or they might encourage you to take a few deep breaths.
8. Your provider will ask how you feel. The aim is to repeat the process until your level of distress falls to 0 or 1, or remains stable after three repetitions of havening.

It has many similarities to guided meditation and the like.

So it's a cross between EFT tapping and EMDR? That's interesting.

SleepySheep1

@DeadGirlWalking
I knew it had a word!
Yes it is exactly those two.
Weird to me the company is acting like it "invented" or "created" this technique.

Here's a thing on EFT Tapping for those unfamiliar.

This company is running a ridiculous scheme though, they charge $750+ to become certified, in addition to "an annual licensing fee of $99 dollars which gives you the right to use the Logo, and any proprietary material that is subject to copyright laws in your country. This is granted on a yearly basis and is renewed on the anniversary of your becoming certified. These marks and copyrights are the sole property of Dr. Ronald A. Ruden and permission to use such marks will be granted for those in good standing with Havening Techniques International."

Give me a break 🙄

Monetizing techniques that have been around for ages and trying to commodify it with no acknowledgment of its history or pre-existing methods it clearly borrowed from.

JohnR1972

Thanks to everyone above for starting and elaborating on this topic, especially @SleepySheep1 for the excellent critique of the original linked article.

KozyKim

I watched a show on some news channel maybe 60 minutes or something where they had people going through an MRI and they showed their stress levels in the brain. They documented what it was like to have a total stranger hold her hand before going into the chamber, which was better than nothing you could see the difference, and then they showed a friend holding your hand huge difference. So I do think that touch is important for reducing stress.