Touch is a unique way of humans in communicating affection and other messages. It is one of the five senses that is commonly used by health care providers in allaying anxiety to any ill person as well as the best non-verbal method of conveying sympathy when words fail the person. This is also encouraged by nurses and caregivers to use in caring for children at the hospital, especially the immature neonates. There are studies that gave credit to touch as one factor in helping the immature baby to increase weight and survival rate.

Four basic techniques of massage is usually taught to mothers at the hospital to be later on administered to their newborns. These techniques are (a) effleurage that involves long and gliding strokes of the palm on the skin, much like spreading a lotion repeatedly in order to enhance circulation, (b) petrisage connotes kneading motion of the hand by gently grasping skin and muscle and gently releasing to work on enhancing the development of a specific area of the body, (c) percussion, the application of vibrating, repeated motion to mobilize inner structures like back clapping to mobilize secretions of the lungs, as well as chopping motion in order to increase alertness and wakefulness and (d) friction is akin to rubbing motion of the hands on a specific body part to increase circulation to the area, thus increasing the temperature.

Massage has a number of benefits and can be categorized into biological, psychological and physical. One of the physical benefits of massage is its ability to increase range of motion of a particular limb. A person who had been confined to bed may have difficulty standing up and gain his balance. Prior to such attempt of movement, massage is done so as to increase the flow of the blood supply to the specific body part. When a muscle is relaxed, all the more that it is easy to move.

The psychological effect of massage is somewhat holistic in nature. Once the individual feels relaxed because the tension and stress of the day had been eased off by the massage, the individual who received the massage is more accommodating in listening to subordinates or colleagues. A feeling of lightness is also felt after a satisfying massage. Consequently, anxiety is reduced,

Torch Research Institute at the University of Miami conducted a study involving massage and concluded that children's immune system improved as evidenced by the increase of blood components in the blood further aiding the immune system to fight illness and infections.

Otherwise advised by the physician, the massage techniques mentioned are usually performed by mothers to their newborn to promote mother-newborn closeness as well as fast growth and development of the child. In times of illness, children who are frequently held and massaged are usually less fussy and recover much earlier than expected.

Adults, on the other hand, can still enjoy such experience through technological advancement in the presence of shiatsu massage chair and the likes. Such equipments are now readily available for the different needs of consumers, depending on the type of massage they desire.