The Healing Power of Relaxation
Many abstracts of scientific papers on the negative effects of stress on our health and the positive effect of Guided Imagery, Relaxation and Self Hypnosis are available in
http://www.pubmed.com.
In all the studies, a variety of relaxation techniques were applied to experimental groups, and their effects were compared to those derived from control groups. The following are summaries of the outcomes of such studies on a variety of diseases.
Insomnia
Patients who were participants in the experimental group and suffered from insomnia, about 75% experienced improvements in sleep onset, extent of insomnia, and overall sleep quality.
Cardiovascular Diseases
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: greater reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures; plasma cholesterol concentrations and the number of cigarettes smoked were lower; the patients had less angina and a reduced need for treatment of hypertension and its complications; there has been a reduction in the level of stress and an improvement in the quality of sleeping. In a follow up study a few years later, patients in the control group had a higher incidence of Ischaemic heart disease, fatal myocardial infarction, and electrocardiographic evidence of Ischaemia.
Essential Hypertension
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: reduction in the pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure; reduction in the level of stress and improvement in the quality of sleeping.
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Patients in the experimental group, who suffered from ulcerative colitis experienced less frequent pain, greater pain relief, less distress due to pain, taking fewer anti-inflammatory drugs. The quality of life had improved, and the frequency of doctor visits was reduced.
Patients in the experimental group, who suffered from irritable bowel syndrome reported significant improvements of the symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating. The quality of life of those patients had improved, and the frequency of doctor visits was reduced.
Surgery
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: less anxiety and pain during the
procedure, and decreases of blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and reports of pain. Significantly fewer patients reported
anxiety, lower cortisol levels were recorded one day after surgery; less surgical wound erythema was observed; considerably less
pre-operative and post-operative anxiety and pain were recorded, and the patients required almost 50% less narcotic medications after their surgical procedures. The number of post-operative hematomas was reduced significantly, and there were shorter periods of pyrexia. Less time in hospital was usually required, and the patients were generally rated by nurses as having made a better than expected recovery.
Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: reduction in joint tenderness, in pain and mobility difficulties; improvements in the muscle function of the extremities, and a related upgrading of the quality of life.
Pain
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: improvement in three domains: bodily pain, vitality, mental health and improvement in the quality of life.
Cancer
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: positive changes the emotional
adjustment variables such as tension, depression, anxiety, fatigue and hostility. Amelioration of the overall mood, improvement in the quality of life, attenuation of the emotional distress presented during radiotherapy treatment, and both the improvements in anticipatory nausea and vomiting and post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.
Skin Diseases
Patients in the experimental group, who suffered from herpes experienced reductions in herpes frequency. Those who suffered from acne vulgaris experienced significant reduction in acne severity. Those who suffered from psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and chronic urticaria experienced significant improvement in skin status. All patients who suffered from skin diseases experienced improvements in psychosocial
parameters.
Bronchial asthma
The following significant changes were observed in the relaxation group as compared with the control group: decrease of trait fear, alleviation of asthma-specific complaints and asthma attacks, decrease in sleep disturbances and in morning coughing urge, reduction in the required quantities of controlled-dosage aerosol, and a modified attitude toward the disease in the sense of an improved subjective
coping competence. Significant increases occurred in the forced expiratory volume and peak expiratory flow. The heart rate showed a significant increase in the coefficient of variation, root-mean-square of successive differences and at the high frequency range, in addition to a significant reduction at the low and middle frequency ranges.
Epileptic Seizures
Patients in the experimental group, who suffered from Epileptic Seizures experienced a reduction in seizure frequency and an improvement in
their quality of life.
Additional Readings on these subjects:
Following are reference of three abstracts of scientific articles on each physical issue. If you wish to read an abstract, go to
www.pubmed.com
and write the name of the authors.
Insomnia
Cognitive behavioural therapy for primary insomnia: a systematic review.
Wang MY,
Wang SY,
Tsai PS.
J Adv Nurs.
2005 Jun;50(5):553-64.Management of insomnia in patients with chronic pain conditions.
Stiefel F,
Stagno D.
CNS Drugs. 2004;18(5):285-96.
Efficacy of two behavioral treatment programs for comorbid geriatric insomnia.
Rybarczyk B,
Lopez M,
Benson R,
Alsten C,
Stepanski E.
Psychol Aging.
2002 Jun;17(2):288-98.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Favorable effects of breathing and relaxation instructions in heart rehabilitation: a randomized 5-year follow-up study. van Dixhoorn J Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1997 Mar 15;141(11):530
Trial of relaxation in reducing coronary risk: four year follow up. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985 Apr 13;290(6475):1103-6 Patel C, Marmot MG, Terry DJ, Carruthers M, Hunt B, Patel M.
Effect of relaxation therapy on cardiac events after myocardial infarction: a 5-year follow-up study. van Dixhoorn JJ, Duivenvoorden HJ. J Cardiopulm Rehabil 1999 May-Jun;19(3):178-85
Essential Hypertension
A controlled comparison on the effect of muscle and cognitive relaxation procedures on blood pressure: implications for the behavioral treatment of borderline hypertensive. Yung PM, Keltner AA Behav Res Ther 1996 Oct;34(10):821-6.
Effects of mental relaxation and slow breathing in essential hypertension. Kaushik RM, Kaushik R, Mahajan SK, Rajesh V. Complement Ther Med. 2006 Jun;14(2):
Results of the use of relaxation therapy in hypertension Article in Russian A?vazian TA, Za?tsev VP, Iurenev AP. Kardiologiia. 1987 Aug;27(8):34-7
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Relaxation training as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Blanchard EB, Greene B, Scharff L, Schwarz-McMorris SP. Biofeedback Self Regul 1993 Sep;18(3):125-32
Relaxation training reduces symptom reports and acid exposure in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. McDonald-Haile J, Bradley LA, Bailey MA, Schan CA, Richter JE Gastroenterology 1994 Jul;107(1):61-9
Relaxation training as a treatment for chronic pain caused by ulcerative colitis. Shaw L, Ehrlich A. Pain 1987 Jun;29(3):287-93
Surgery
Effects of relaxation with guided imagery on surgical stress and wound healing. Holden-Lund C. Res Nurs Health 1988 Aug;11(4):235-44
Suggestion, relaxation, and hypnosis as adjuncts in the care of surgery patients: a review of the literature. Blankfield RP. Am J Clin Hypn 1991 Jan;33(3):172-86
Anxiety, relaxation and anaesthesia for day-case surgery. Markland D, Hardy L. Br J Clin Psychol 1993 Nov;32 ( Pt 4):493-504
Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis: a study of relaxation and temperature biofeedback training as an adjunctive therapy. Achterberg J, McGraw P, Lawlis GF. Biofeedback Self Regul 1981 Jun;6(2):207-23
Comparison of integrated group therapy and group relaxation training for fibromyalgia. Keel PJ, Bodoky C, Gerhard U, Muller W. Clin J Pain 1998 Sep;14(3):232-8
Dynamic training versus relaxation training as home exercise for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. A randomized controlled study. Stenstrom CH, Arge B, Sundbom A. Scand J Rheumatol 1996;25(1):28-33
Pain
Treatment integrity of relaxation training for tension headaches. Gutkin A Holborn SW, Walker JR, Anderson BA. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 1992 Sep;23(3):191-8
The role of regular home practice in the relaxation treatment of tension headache.
Blanchard EB, Nicholson NL, Taylor AE, Steffek BD, Radnitz CL, Appelbaum KA. J Consult Clin Psychol 1991 Jun;59(3):467-70
A muscle and vascular oriented relaxation program for the treatment of chronic migraine patients. A randomized clinical comparative study. Doerr-Proske H, Wittchen HU. Z Psychosom Med Psychoanal 1985;31(3):247-66
Cancer
The effectiveness of relaxation training in reducing treatment-related symptoms and improving emotional adjustment in acute non-surgical cancer treatment: a meta-analytical review. Luebbert K, Dahme B, Hasenbring M. Psychooncology 2001 Nov-Dec;10(6):490-502
Relaxation training as an integral part of caring activities for cancer patients: effects on well-being. Larsson G, Starrin B. Scand J Caring Sci 1992;6(3):179-85
Psychological, clinical and pathological effects of relaxation training and guided imagery during primary chemotherapy. Walker LG, Walker MB, Ogston K, Heys SD, Ah-See AK, Miller ID, Hutcheon AW, Sarkar TK, Eremin O. Br J Cancer 1999 Apr;80(1-2):262-8
Skin Diseases
Applied relaxation training in the treatment of genital herpes. Koehn KA, Burnette MM, Stark C. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 1993 Dec;24(4):331-41
Treatment of acne vulgaris by biofeedback relaxation and cognitive imagery. Hughes H, Brown BW, Lawlis GF, Fulton JE Jr. J Psychosom Res 1983;27(3):185-91
Relaxation therapies in the treatment of psoriasis and possible pathophysiologic mechanisms. Winchell SA, Watts RA. J Am Acad Dermatol 1988 Jan;18(1 Pt 1):101-4
Bronchial Asthma
Effectiveness of self-management programmes and relaxation training in the treatment of bronchial asthma: relationships with trait anxiety and emotional attack triggers. Vazquez MI, Buceta JM. Kinderarztl Prax 1992 Feb;60(1):12-6
Effectiveness of combined relaxation exercises for children with bronchial asthma Groller B. J Psychosom Res 1993 Jan;37(1):71-81
Efficacy of 'functional relaxation' in comparison to terbutaline and a 'placebo relaxation' method in patients with acute asthma. Loew TH, Tritt K, Siegfried W, Bohmann H, Martus P, Hahn EG. Psychother Psychosom 2001 May-Jun;70(3):151-7
Epileptic Seizures
Psychological treatments for epilepsy.
Ramaratnam S,
Baker GA,
Goldstein LH.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2008 Jul 16;(3)