Touch by Tiffany Field (A
Field is a leading authority on touch and touch therapy. She begins with an overview of the sociology and anthropology of touching and the basic psychophysical properties of touch. She then reports recent research results on the value of various touch therapies. She emphasizes a need for a change in societal attitudes towards touching, particularly amongst those who work with children. (adapted from cover)
A review by Courtenay Young
This little book is rather like nouvelle cuisine: excellent quality, a divine mix of flavours, and just not enough food on the plate. Field is a leading authority on touch (see book list below) and looks at different aspects of touch throughout the book, starting with the first chapter on ‘Touch Hunger,’ where she considers: taboos against touch, especially in American schools & day care systems (despite the infrequency of sexual abuse in such places; the critical importance of touch; touch in everyday activities; touch across cultures and species, where she also considers the ‘laying on of hands’and the taboo of touch in psychotherapy (which she attributes to Menninger, not Freud). The best bits of this rather ‘lite bite’ first chapter filled with appetising canapés are the 20 end notes, references and details of research projects.
The second chapter deals with Touch as Communication. Again she ‘touches on’ (sic) cultural differences, though in more depth this time surprisingly; sex differences; touching and aging; and touch therapies for older people. This is a bit more substantial as a “starter” course, and with 32 delicious references to look up and study. The third chapter (Can we stretch the analogy to the pasta?) considers the importance of touch in development and predictably looks at animals, not only at the classic
One of her great areas of interest is the effects of touch during pregnancy, labour and delivery and this section carries a slightly greater solidity, looking also at early separation, prematurity, increasing tactile stimulation, carrying, and touch during early interactions. Some of the research in this section is fascinating and well-documented: with massage during pregnancy, groups reported decreased uterine stress hormones (noreprinephrine), fewer complications in labour, fewer premature births, and fewer postnatal complications. In touch studies after birth, serotonin levels increase; cortisol levels decrease; EEG waves shift to the right side of the brain; and post-natal depression is alleviated. She reverts to a more nominal gloss as she continues to finish this chapter mentioning later areas, such as touch in childhood and adolescence, and in adulthood, and only the briefest mention of touch in sexuality.
Chapter 4 looks refreshingly at the stigma of touch and Field condemns the unfounded way that fear of sexual abuse deprives children of appropriate touch, quoting Ashley Montagu: “Such alarm is understandable in a society that has so confounded love, sex, affection, and touch. The genuinely loving parents have nothing to fear from their demonstrative acts of affection for the children or anyone else.” Parents, teachers, childcare workers have all become paranoid about hugging and touching children, and there is a lot of misunderstanding about appropriate touch, to the detriment of children everywhere.
I really enjoyed the next chapter on “Touch Messages to the Brain”, as I am currently writing a book on psychophysiology, and Field looks, again somewhat lightly, at the physiology of that vastly underestimated organ, the skin. She describes some of the connections to the sensory part of the brain, in the cortex, with a homunculus representation of touch areas and a mention about tactile stimulation and thermal regulation and the use of touch in devices for seeing & hearing. She then anticipates the next chapter slightly by looking at pain for touch relief, therapies for pain reduction, chronic pain and touch for stress reduction. Again this chapter is well substantiated with references.
The sixth chapter explores some of the “Touch Therapies” classified into three groups: energy methods (including Tai Chi Chuan, Yoga, Acupuncture & Acupressure, Reflexology), manipulative therapies (Massage therapy [including instructions], Trager Method, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, and amalgams or combinations of these (Chinese Massage, Polarity Therapy, Reichian Massage, Feldenkrais Technique, Applied Kinesiology, and Massage Therapy Amalgam [with instructions] etc.) All of these are fairly well-known and the very short treatment that they get here, does not really do them justice. Where this chapter gets slightly more interesting is when she covers “Touch Therapies by Another Name” and includes mentions of Touch Skincare, Touch Toys, Touch Sports, Touch Dancing, Touch Games & backrubs, Sex Touch Therapies, Self-Touch and Touch Objects.
The chapter on “Infant Massage” opens with an incredible statement (for Americans & Europeans). “Infant Massage is practiced in most of the world. In many places, including
Field finally looks at massage therapy for children, adolescents and adults and especially massage to facilitate alertness; for attention deficits, ADHD, for alleviating depression and anxiety, PTSD, psychiatric conditions, bulimia and anorexia, chronic fatigue, alcohol and drug addiction, massage in childbirth, for burn patients, postoperative pain, and the reduction of several types of chronic pain (rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, lower back pain, cancer pain). Again, whilst there are many pertinent references, writing a few paragraphs about these conditions doesn’t really convince: more is needed. Again, I found it more interesting when she examined the theories of pain relief, but there wasn’t enough of this. Then she reverts to well-referenced but short paragraphs on various neuromuscular problems, autoimmune disorders, immune disorders, and cancer & HIV.
As mentioned there are excellent notes and Field really knows her field (sorry about the pun). In a quick trawl through Amazon UK, Tiffany Field is also listed as the author, co-author or editor of the following available books: Touch Therapy (Churchill Livingstone)1999; Touch in Early Development (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc) 1995; Stress and Coping in Infancy and Childhood (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc)1992; Infancy: The Developing Child (Harvard University Press)1990; Baby Massage (HarperCollins)1989; Infants Born at Risk: Physiological, Perceptual and Cognitive Processes (Allyn & Bacon)1989; Maternal Depression and Infant Disturbance (New Directions for Child Development, No 34) with Ed Tronick (Jossey-Bass Inc)1986; Social Perception in Infants (Greenwood Press)1985; The Psychobiology of Attachment and Separation (Behavioral Biology : an International Series) (Academic Press)1985; Friendship in Normal and Handicapped Children (Greenwood Press)1984; Emotion and Early Interaction (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc)1982; Perinatal Risk: New Born Behaviour (Greenwood Press) 1982; Review of Human Development (John Wiley & Sons Inc)1982; and wrote the introduction for: Amelia D. Auckett, Baby Massage: Parent-Child Bonding Through Touch (Newmarket Press) 2004; amongst other things. A remarkable lady!
It is a great pity that this particular book, excellent in itself, is really nothing more than a popular introduction or overview, even though it comes out of MIT. I think that there is a need for a much more in-depth volume, but maybe someone else will have to write it.
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