Relaxation therapy encompasses several different methods, all aimed at reducing stress, allostatic load--the physical impacts of stress--tensions and the employment of imagery. Relaxation therapists, according to website Integrative Practitioner, have a strong background in anatomy and physiology, stress and coping, color therapy, water therapy, counseling techniques, visualization techniques and deep relaxation processes.
History
Relaxation therapy as it is used today was coined by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in 1929. In 1975, Dr. Herbert Benson brought the profession of relaxation therapy into its integrative form used across numerous disciplines today. The "Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health" says that while the terminology used for relaxation therapy today is in its relative infancy, the concepts behind the profession date back thousands of years to Buddhism, traditional Chinese medicine, and several other imagery- and thought-clearing processes.
Significance
The American Heart Association said results from a 2008 relaxation therapy study among elderly patients with high blood pressure was significant. According to Therapy Times, this study involved two groups, with the first asked to listen to a Mozart sonata three times a week for four months and a similar-size group asked to listen to relaxation and soft guidance therapy, also three times a week for four months. The results showed that the relaxation therapy group had the most promising results in lowering blood pressure consistently. Researchers believe the self-regulating behaviors required in relaxation therapy, paired with mind-body connections, improved their odds.
Types
Relaxation therapy employs the use of repetition through the use of prayer, words, sounds, phrases, body sensations and coordinated muscle movements. Intelihealth suggests that the objective is to develop a passive response to intruding thoughts or images in favor of more calming ones. The most popular methods include Benson's technique, which focuses on deep breathing, and Jacobson's technique, which focuses on flexing muscles and releasing them in a progressive--one body part at a time--manner.
Benefits
Relaxation therapy has been evaluated in medical journals across the globe--and it is gaining in popularity and applicability. Intelihealth says proven areas of benefit, relief or improvement include anxiety and stress, depression, insomnia, pain, high blood pressure, premenstrual syndrome, menopause symptoms, headaches, chemotherapy side effect management, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, smoking cessation, facial paralysis, fibromyalgia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, spiritual well-being, irritable bowel syndrome, HIV/AIDS, tinnitis, Huntington's Disease, angina, heart attack, post-traumatic stress disorder, neurocardiogenic syncope and heart failure.
Potential
Potential for relaxation therapy range from addictions to Alzheimer's disease, gastrointestinal disorders, mental conditions, wound healing, social phobias and post-operative pain. Intelihealth suggests that many more benefits will come as researchers evaluate its efficacy when applied to other conditions. In the meantime, relaxation therapy is considered safe for all users and does not generally carry any side effects. However, it is imperative to discuss options with a licensed health professional prior to embarking on any new treatment methods. Relaxation therapy could possibly trigger an episode of seizures among the epileptic, or trigger flashbacks and unexpected emotional reactions in those with psychological disorders.
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