Progressive relaxation is a stress management technique that involves consciously relaxing muscle groups in the body. It was pioneered by Dr. Edmund Jacobson and involves tensing and releasing muscle groups in sequence. It can help with insomnia, anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, ulcers, and irritability. It’s important to use it in conjunction with other treatments recommended by a doctor.
Progressive relaxation is an approach to controlling and managing stress by consciously relaxing various muscle groups within the body. Sometimes referred to as progressive muscle relaxation, the technique is based on the understanding that all types of mental anxiety and stress impact body function, especially musculature. To lower your stress and anxiety levels, you first need to relax your muscles and essentially eliminate some of the power that stress exerts on your body and mind.
Dr. Edmund Jacobson, a physician living in the United States, pioneered the basic progressive relaxation technique. One of the key steps in this type of neuromuscular relaxation process is to consciously tense the appropriate muscle groups, then release them into a relaxed state. The two steps are repeated for as long as necessary to begin relieving the patient’s mental anxiety.
One of the benefits of Jacobsonian relaxation is that you can use this technique with the help of a physical therapist or on your own. In general, it’s a good idea to learn and use progressive relaxation under the watchful eye of an experienced therapist. As the patient begins to master the process, the basic combination of tension and relaxation can be used at home or even at work.
To engage in the simplest form of progressive relaxation, the patient may sit or lie prone. The initiation of progressive relaxation stress reduction involves a series of controlled deep breaths. From that moment, the patient turns his attention to the muscle groups and slowly tenses and relaxes each one in turn. A key to the technique is to start with one group and move on to the next identified muscle group in the sequence. For example, the patient may start with the feet and ankles, then raise the calf of each leg and continue up to the thighs. The progression continues until the neck muscles have been reached and have undergone the alternating process of tension and relaxation.
Various progressive relaxation techniques are believed to work in a variety of situations where some sort of stress is interfering with normal bodily function. Engaging in a series of relaxation steps can help an individual suffering from insomnia reduce stress enough to enjoy a good night’s sleep. People dealing with anxiety disorders may find that progressive relaxation can help bring them down from the mental confusion and fear that are often part of experiencing a panic attack. There is also evidence that using relaxation techniques of this type can help with cases of high blood pressure, reduce the chance of developing ulcers, and help manage irritability more effectively.
While progressive relaxation is effective for many people, it’s important to use the technique in conjunction with any other treatments your doctor deems appropriate for your situation. This means continuing to take any medications or engaging in professional counseling if these are your doctor’s recommendations.
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