inhibiting the transmission of noxious stimuli by stimulating large nerve fibers that have been shown to alter The gate-control theory of pain postulates that massage may be effective in “closing the gate”—that is, pain perception (13) . In the acute care setting, health care professionals have a tendency to touch patients only when performing procedures, which can be uncomfortable and even painful. As White wrote, “Touch is often the most neglected or assaulted sense of the hospitalized patient” (16)