Tickling Can Dramitically Improve Your Health
By Andrew Kuzyk
Laughter is truly the best form of medicine, right? Now, it appears, tickling actually helps to relieve pain, according to a new Swedish study: "Basically the signals that tell the brain that we are being stroked on the skin have their own direct route to the brain, and are not blocked even if the brain is recieving pain impulses from the same area. In fact it's more the opposite, that the stroking impulses are able to deaden the pain impulses,"says Line Loken, postgraduate student in neurophysiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy. It now seems that humans are hard wired for tickling.
Pain signals cannot block skin impulses of someone stroking our skin. Tickling overcomes pain - it deadens the pain stimuli. Inquiring minds should that being slowly tickled, touched or strokes activates specialized nerve fibers in our skin. Pleasurable feelings are produces by our brain by these nerve fibers called CT nerves (C-Tactile). The longer and greater the frequency of stroking (tickling) - the greater the physical and mental pleasure response. But you cannot self-tickle, the sensations (emotions) must be created by another. Our brain prevents us from tickling ourselves. Why? The human brain can distinguish between expected and unexpected sensations.
Tickling is 90% triggered by unexpected sensations. Your brain knows (somatosensory cortex) who is doing the tickling - you or a stranger? An example of an expected body sensation is feeling (pressure) of your fingertips while typing on the computer keyboard. Unexpected is a stranger tickling your foot with a feather. The affect of tickling, according to Alan Hirsch, M.D. lasts up to 12 hours.
There are many scientifically proven benefits of smiling, tickling and laughter as blood circulation produces up to 12% more oxygen and glucose (energy) for body and mind when you smile or laugh often. Speed of brain functions: up to 15% higher for optimal cognition. When tickled blood pressure is lowered up to 10% based on how many smiles and duration of our daily laughing. Physical and mental pain is reduced up to 50% and your healing rate increases by a surge of Endorphins.
Well, some interesting spas are taking that saying to a new level of experience with the opening of tickling spas, the first opening in the country of Spain. CosquilleArte, which recently opened in Madrid, now offers half-hour and hour tickling sessions for $35 and $45 respspectively in its treatment rooms, where clients can lie down on a comfy massage table...and be tickled. The name of this particular spa, CosquilleArte can be translated to "tickle yourself" or "tickle art" Time.com stated.
"My dad used to tickle me to get me to go to sleep, so it's always relaxed me," owner Isabel Aires, who helped develope the tickling treatment with two trained massage therapists. "One day I just thought, why can't I pay someone to do this, in the same way as I pay for a relaxing massage?" "There is no school for tickling", she said. "We simply had to invent it ourselves." With an environment much like many other day spas, the treatment takes place in a darkened room, with soothing music playing and a hint of incense in the air, Time's Lisa Abend reports.
The client lies down lightly draped with a warm, soothing towel and then the sensual tickling, first with fingertips drawn along the relaxed body, then a delicate feather and so the tickle massage begins. "We use a variety of strokes, therapist Lourdes Nieto told Time.com "If someone is extra ticklish, we may press firmer. The idea is to completely relax them, not to stress them out in any way." Abend, while extremely ticklish, confirmed that the treatment was in fact very relaxing and reported that everybody seems to leave happy and hooked on tickling.
Writing this article led me to think, as I have a hundred times before, how much the physical touch can give comfort: the delicate stroking a mother gives to her child, the gentle rub on the back of someone who is grieving. Touch has great value, it communicates so much; it makes us all feel good, when done properly of course. Our human bodies respond to it. I don't know how widely known this is, but from those who have experienced tickling as relaxation, have learned the trick that, if your partner is having problems with reaction to physical pain, light stroking or tickling, especially along the midline of the body, can help immensely.
Tickling stimulates the hypothalamus, which is part of the human brain that controls our body temperature, hunger and sensual behavior. Many people therefore find being tickled and touched a sexual turn-on. If both parties are game then tickle away. Using a sleep mask or blindfold can actually enhance the sensations of touching and double the pleasure enjoyed. The soles of the foot contain concentrated bundles of nerve endings, over 200,000, which make the feet very sensitive and receptive to foot rubs or tickle rubs.
I have personally observed this to be true for myself and others I have touched. Most everyone is ticklish in some way, whether all over or just in a small "tickle spot". One doesn't have to usually have to look far to find a spot on most people. Tickling and caressing cause many reactions making most of us laugh, smile or feel physical pleasure. Some people like tickling for the way it creates bonding and brings us together, while many others enjoy it in more intimate settings. Whether you are being intimate or simply being relaxed, tickling can certainly reduce you to a more relaxed and or enlightened mood. Non-consensual tickling should never be administered on any individual.~~
*Andrew J. Kuzyk is a freelance writer/author whose work is birthed from a deep desire to inform and inspire others through his writing abilities. Andrew is a five time cancer survivor, who combines a deep love for writing and storytelling in its myriad of forms. His personal vision, born from a knowledge that our stories are important to our journalistic and personal development. Andrew's unique body of writing and reporting has appeared in NBCUniversal, GeosNews, KCRA TV, WZZM TV, zFayetteville Publishing, Muskegon Chronicle, Booth Newspapers, Inc., Choose Hope, Inc., Storyhouse, Norton Examiner, Tumblr, Ukrainian Weekly, Hope Chapel Publications, The Ottawa Journal and more.
Andrew desires to create an environment where stories in all their forms can be shared and enjoyed. A platform where news, written stories and poetry would inspire hearts all over the globe. Andrew can be reached by email at [email protected]