Use of Relaxation Techniques for Health in the United States
People may use relaxation techniques as part of a comprehensive plan
to treat, prevent, or reduce symptoms of a variety of conditions
including stress, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia,
depression, labor pain, headache, cardiovascular disease, anxiety,
chemotherapy side effects, and others.
According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which
included a comprehensive survey on the use of complementary health
approaches by Americans, 12.7 percent of adults used deep-breathing
exercises, 2.9 percent used progressive relaxation, and 2.2 percent used
guided imagery for health purposes.
How Relaxation Techniques May Work
To understand how consciously producing the relaxation response may
affect your health, it is helpful to understand how your body responds
to the opposite of relaxation - stress.
When you're under stress, your body releases hormones that produce
the fight-or-flight response. Heart rate and breathing rate go up and
blood vessels narrow (restricting the flow of blood). This response
allows energy to flow to parts of your body that need to take action,
for example the muscles and the heart. However useful this response may
be in the short term, there is evidence that when your body remains in a
stress state for a long time, emotional or physical damage can occur.
Long-term or chronic stress (lasting months or years) may reduce your
body's ability to fight off illness and lead to or worsen certain health
conditions. Chronic stress may play a role in developing high blood
pressure, headaches, and stomach ache. Stress may worsen certain
conditions, such as asthma. Stress also has been linked to depression,
anxiety, and other mental illnesses.
In contrast to the stress response, the relaxation response slows the
heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and decreases oxygen consumption and
levels of stress hormones. Because relaxation is the opposite of
stress, the theory is that voluntarily creating the relaxation response
through regular use of relaxation techniques could counteract the
negative effects of stress.
Status of Research on Relaxation Techniques
In the past 30 years, there has been considerable interest in the
relaxation response and how inducing this state may benefit health.
Research has focused primarily on illness and conditions in which stress
may play a role either as the cause of the condition or as a factor
that can make the condition worse.
Currently, research has examined relaxation techniques for:
- Anxiety. Studies have suggested that relaxation
may assist in the conventional treatment of phobias or panic disorder.
Relaxation techniques have also been used to relieve anxiety for people
in stressful situations, such as when undergoing a
medical procedure.
- Asthma. Several reviews of the literature have
suggested that relaxation techniques, including guided imagery, may
temporarily help improve lung function and quality of life and relieve
anxiety in people with asthma. A more recent randomized clinical trial
of asthma found that relaxation techniques may help improve
immune function.
- Depression. In 2008, a major review of the evidence
that looked at relaxation for depression found that relaxation
techniques were more effective than no treatment for depression, but not
as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy.
- Fibromyalgia. Some preliminary studies report that
using relaxation or guided imagery techniques may sometimes improve pain
and reduce fatigue from fibromyalgia.
- Headache. There is some evidence that biofeedback
and other relaxation techniques may help relieve tension or migraine
headaches. In some cases, these mind and body techniques were more
effective than medications for reducing the frequency, intensity, and
severity of headaches.
- Heart disease and heart symptoms. Researchers have
looked at relaxation techniques for angina and for preventing heart
disease. When a cardiac rehabilitation program was combined with
relaxation response training in a clinic, participants experienced
significant reductions in blood pressure, decreases in lipid levels, and
increases in psychological functioning when compared to participants'
status before the program. Some studies have shown that relaxation
techniques combined with other lifestyle changes and standard medical
care may reduce the risk of recurrent heart attack.
- High blood pressure. A 2008 review of evidence for
relaxation for high blood pressure found some evidence that progressive
muscle relaxation lowered blood pressure a small amount. However, the
review found no evidence that this effect was enough to reduce the risk
of heart disease, stroke, or other health issues due to high blood
pressure. In a recent randomized controlled trial, 8 weeks of relaxation
response/stress management was shown to reduce systolic blood pressure
in hypertensive older adults, and some patients were able to reduce
hypertension medication without an increase in blood pressure.
- Hot flashes. Relaxation exercises involving slow, controlled deep breathing may help relieve hot flashes associated with menopause.
- Insomnia. There is some evidence that relaxation techniques can help chronic insomnia.
- Irritable bowel syndrome. Some studies have
indicated that relaxation techniques may prevent or relieve symptoms of
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some participants. One review of the
research found some evidence that self-hypnosis may be useful
for IBS.
- Nausea. Relaxation techniques may help relieve nausea caused by chemotherapy.
- Nightmares. Relaxation exercises may be an
effective approach for nightmares of unknown cause and those associated
with posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Overactive bladder. Bladder re-training combined with relaxation and other exercises may help control urinary urgency.
- Pain. Some studies have shown that relaxation techniques may help reduce abdominal and surgery pain.
- Ringing in the ears. Use of relaxation exercises may help patients cope with the condition.
- Smoking cessation. Relaxation exercises may help reduce the desire to smoke.
- Temporomandibular disorder (pain and loss of motion
in the jaw joints). A review of the literature found that relaxation
techniques and biofeedback were more effective than placebo in
decreasing pain and increasing jaw function.
Researchers have found no significant change in outcomes from
relaxation techniques used during cardiac catheterization. However,
patients experienced less distress prior to the procedure. Future
research may investigate whether this has any long-term effect on
outlook and recovery.
Many of the studies of relaxation therapy and health have followed a
small number of patients for weeks or months. Longer studies involving
more participants may reveal more about the cumulative effects of using
relaxation techniques regularly.
NCCAM-Funded Research
NCCAM-supported studies have been investigating:
- Progressive relaxation and massage therapy for relieving low-back pain
- The effect of the relaxation response on blood pressure, stress
hormones, and psychological well-being in older adults
with hypertension
- Acupuncture and relaxation training for relieving stomach symptoms for people taking HIV medications.
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