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Relaxation

This document discusses relaxation techniques including definitions, causes of muscle tension, factors that inhibit relaxation, conditions relaxation can help with, environmental factors that facilitate relaxation, and specific relaxation methods like progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and general versus local relaxation. It provides details on Jacobson's progressive relaxation technique and contrasts contract and induce relaxation methods.

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1K views20 pages

Relaxation

This document discusses relaxation techniques including definitions, causes of muscle tension, factors that inhibit relaxation, conditions relaxation can help with, environmental factors that facilitate relaxation, and specific relaxation methods like progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and general versus local relaxation. It provides details on Jacobson's progressive relaxation technique and contrasts contract and induce relaxation methods.

Uploaded by

bpt2
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Relaxation Techniques

Definition Relaxation

• Muscles which are relatively free from


tension and at rest are said to be relax
or muscle free from abnormal tension
• TENSION develops in muscles as they
work during contraction and this
tension is reduced to a variable degree
as the muscles come to rest during
relaxation.
Causes of muscle tension

• Disorders of CNS causing spasticity and


rigidity
• Pain causing spasm
• State of mind
FACTORS that tend to inhibit relaxation
 ❖ Pain or fear of pain
❖ Fear of unknown treatment
❖ Strange or new surrounding
❖ Excessive noise
❖ Bright light or total darkness
❖ Cold, drafty rooms
❖ Breathing difficulty
❖ Fear of undressing
❖ In adequate support, draping position
 Psychological factors
 personal problem,
 fear of undressing
Condition for relaxation
•Anger management
•Anxiety attacks
•Cardiac health
•Depression
•General well-being
•Headache
•High blood pressure
•Immune system support
•Insomnia
•Pain management
•Stress management
Environmental factors that
facilitate Relaxation

– Quiet environment
– Soft light
– Moderate temperature
– Draft free environment
– Clean tidy treatment
Two levels of Relaxation
General and Local
• General Relaxation - A General
Relaxation describes the state of the entire
body
• Local Relaxation: - Refers to specific body
part.
Some techniques include:
• Biofeedback
•Massage
• Deep breathing
•Meditation
• Exercise •Prayer
• Homeopathy •Reflexology
• Humor •Self-hypnosis
• Listening to music •Visualization
• Total suspension •Yoga
• Hydrotherapy
• Local relaxation
• Heat
• Massage
• Biofeedback
• Joint traction or oscillation
• PNF
Biofeedback
• measuring a subject's bodily processes such as
blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature,
galvanic skin response (sweating ) and muscle
tension and conveying such information to him
or her in real-time in order to raise his or her
awareness and conscious control of the related
physiological activities.
Electromyography (EMG) is a medical technique for evaluating and
recording physiologic properties of muscles at rest and while
contracting. EMG is performed using an instrument called an
electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram. An
electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle
cells when these cells contract, and also when the cells are at rest.
General relaxation
Jacobson’s progressive relaxation technique:
Progressive relaxation is a technique of stress management
developed by the American physician Edmund Jacobson
in the early 1920s. Jacobson argued that since muscular
tension accompanies anxiety, one can reduce anxiety by
learning how to relax the muscular tension

A systemic distal to proximal progression of conscious


contraction and relaxation of musculature
Progressive Muscle Relaxation steps

• a.Place the patient in quite area and in a comfortable


position and be sure that he or she is free of restricted
clothing
• b. Have the patient breathe in a deep , relaxed
manner.
• c. Ask the patient to voluntarily contract the distal
musculature in the hands or feet for a few seconds.
Then have the patient consciously relax those
muscles.
• d. Suggest that the patient try to feel a sense of
heaviness in the hands or feet.
• e. Suggest to the patient that he or she feel a sense of
warm in the muscle just relaxed
• Hands. The fists are tensed; relaxed. The fingers are
extended; relaxed.
• Biceps and triceps. The biceps are tensed (make a muscle--
but shake your hands to make sure not tensing them into a
fist); relaxed (drop your arm to the chair--really drop them).
The triceps are tensed (try to bend your arms the wrong
way); relaxed (drop them).
• Shoulders. Pull them back (careful with this one); relax
them. Push the shoulders forward (hunch); relax.
• Neck (lateral). With the shoulders straight and
relaxed, the head is turned slowly to the right, as far
as you can; relax. Turn to the left; relax.
• 5. Neck (forward). Dig your chin into your chest;
relax. (bringing the head back is not recommended--
you could break your neck).
• Mouth. The mouth is opened as far as possible; relaxed. The
lips are brought together or pursed as tightly as possible;
relaxed.
• 7. Tongue (extended and retracted). With mouth open,
extend the tongue as far as possible; relax (let it sit in the
bottom of your mouth). Bring it back in your throat as far as
possible; relax.
• 8. Tongue (roof and floor). Dig your tongue into the roof of
your mouth; relax. Dig it into the bottom of your mouth;
relax.
• 9. Eyes. Open them as wide as possible (furrow your brow);
relax. Close your eyes tightly (squint); relax. Make sure you
completely relax the eyes, forehead, and nose after each of
the tensings--this is actually a toughy.
• 10. Breathing. Take as deep a breath as possible--and then
take a little more; let it out and breathe normally for 15
seconds. Let all the breath in your lungs out--and then a little
more; inhale and breathe normally for 15 seconds.
• Back. With shoulders resting on the back of the chair, push
your body forward so that your back is arched; relax. Be
very careful with this one, or don't do it at all.
• 12. Butt. Tense the butt tightly and raise pelvis slightly off
chair; relax. Dig buttocks into chair; relax.
• 13. Thighs. Extend legs and raise them about 6" off the floor
or the foot rest--but don't tense the stomach' relax. Dig your
feet (heels) into the floor or foot rest; relax.
• 14. Stomach. Pull in the stomach as far as possible; relax
completely. Push out the stomach or tense it as if you were
preparing for a punch in the gut; relax.
• 15. Calves and feet. Point the toes (without raising the
legs); relax. Point the feet up as far as possible (beware of
cramps-if you get them or feel them coming on, shake them
loose); relax.
• 16. Toes. With legs relaxed, dig your toes into the floor;
relax. Bend the toes up as far as possible; relax.
Two Methods of relaxation

• Contrast
• Induction
Contract
• The principal of this technique is to
facilitate relaxation by teaching the
patient to become aware of the
difference between tight muscle
contraction and relaxation.
Induction
• - In induction type relaxation is achieved by
talking to patient, careful attention to the
patients comfort and support is necessary and
a suitable background music is often very
useful .The patient closes his eyes and try to
imagine screens described by the therapist or
suggested by music (Perhaps the sound of
flowing stream or falling rain) imagination
play important rule by distracting patient
from her physical body and tension and
induces relaxation.

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