The Value of Touch

Materials

• Text - 224 pages
• Multiple-choice test
• Certificate upon completion

Description

The first sensory input in life comes from the sense of touch while a baby is still in the womb and touch continues to be the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy, well into childhood. Touch is critical for children's growth, development, and health, as well as for adult's physical and mental well-being.

Examine the value of touch from sociological, anthropological and physiological perspectives. Review significant research results on a variety of touch therapies, such as massage therapy, demonstrating its importance for various conditions such as asthma, cancer, autism and eating disorders.

In this course, you will investigate:

• why touch and touch therapies are so important for people of all ages
• why touch is essential for normal development and how it can be given to improve development during pregnancy, labor, delivery, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
• the most important functions of the integumentary system and how touch is useful for pain relief
• the way touch therapies work to benefit people
• specific benefits for a variety of infants, including those with special needs
• specific benefits of touch for children, adolescents and adults, including those with special needs

Course Objectives

1. Recognize why touch and touch therapies are so important for people of all ages
2. Identify why touch is essential for normal development and describe how it can be given to improve development during pregnancy, labor, delivery, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
3. Identify the most important functions of the integumentary system and describe how touch is useful for pain relief
4. Reference the textbook and identify the way at least three (3) touch therapies work to benefit people
5. Identify specific benefits for a variety of infants, including those with special needs
6. Identify specific benefits of touch for children, adolescents and adults, including those with special
   needs

Course Reviews

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Instructors

Sharon Burch, MSN, RN, NCTMB

Sharon Burch holds a Masters Degree in Nursing and has been practicing as a nurse since 1974. She is currently a Registered Nurse in the state of Arkansas. Additionally, Ms. Burch studied under many of today's leaders in massage therapy and bodywork during the 1980s, became Nationally Certified through the NCBTMB in 1993 and holds a professional membership with the AMTA.

As founder of Health Positive!, Ms. Burch has created over 60 home study nursing and massage continuing education programs, performed over 65 public, live educational presentations, has written two published books, served as a member on the NCBTMB Continuing Education committee and was a founding member of the National Association of Nurse Massage Therapists.

Sharon is an instructor on many of the Institute's programs and has authored and co-authored various ethics courses and additional titles such as Touch for the Seriously Ill, Stress Reduction Through Bodywork, Staying Well – Naturally, Cardiopulmonary Health and Illness, Chronic Pain Management, Marketing Massage in Four Easy Steps, Preventing Medical Errors, HIV Update for Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers, Understanding HIV, Massage for Edema and more.