Many studies have shown that touch can be both comforting and contribute to actual healing.  Indeed, studies have shown that touch is necessary for infants to even survive.  Well, when you cannot be there in person, there is yet another tool that a study has shown to be effective in the reduction of pain specifically associated with knee osteoarthritis.
        Pick up the phone and call a loved one to alleviate pain. Researchers used monthly telephone contacts to promote self-care for arthritic patients and found significant improvements in pain and mobility measurements during one year of this experiment.