05/14/2026
“Touch seems to have analgesic potential without the risk of side effects”
We know touch feels therapeutic, but studies like this are focusing on the why.
“The optimal pain-reducing stroking speed of approximately 3 centimeters per second is the same frequency that activates a class of sensory neurons in the skin called C-tactile afferents, which have been previously been shown to reduce pain in adults. Up until now, it was unclear whether this sensory response occurred in newborns or developed over time. There was evidence to suggest that C-tactile afferents can be activated in babies and that slow, gentle touch can evoke changes in brain activity in infants."
Researchers found that gently stroking a baby seems to reduce activity in the infant brain associated with painful experiences. Their results, appearing December 17 in the journal Current Biology, suggest that lightly brushing an infant at a certain speed—of approximately 3 centimeters per second....
