Progressive Muscle Relaxation 101

Complementary and Alternative MedicineHolistic Health and Well-BeingRelaxation Techniques
Written By Z. Hamilton Avery

  • Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that was developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in 1938.

  • PMR is a simple-to-learn technique that teaches people to distinguish between feelings of tension and relaxation within their body.

  • The process of PMR involves systematically contracting different muscles of the body and consciously holding the tension for 5-15 seconds before releasing the tension and consciously relaxing the same muscles for 10-20 seconds.

  • Since muscular tension is often a physical/somatic manifestation of stress or anxiety, PMR is understood to be an effective way to decrease muscular tension while also decreasing stress and anxiety.

  • A full body session of PMR (which includes three rounds of tensing/relaxing the hands, biceps/triceps, shoulders, neck, mouth/jaw, eyes/forehead, chest, abdomen, back, thighs, legs, and feet) can be practiced in 10-20 minutes, and several studies have found benefits after a single session.

  • Once this process is learned, people can easily practice it on their own without needing any supervision or special equipment.

References

Allison, S., Irwin Hamilton, K., Yuan, Y., & Wallis Hague, G. (2020). Assessment of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as a stress-reducing technique for first-year veterinary students. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 47(6), 737-744.

Chaudhuri, A., Ray, M., Saldanha, D., & Bandopadhyay, A. K. (2014). Effect of progressive muscle relaxation in female health care professionals. Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research, 4(5), 791-795.

Dolbier, C. L., & Rush, T. E. (2012). Efficacy of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation in a high-stress college sample. International Journal of Stress Management, 19(1), 48.

Essa, R. M., Ismail, N. I. A. A., & Hassan, N. I. (2017). Effect of progressive muscle relaxation technique on stress, anxiety, and depression after hysterectomy. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(7), 77.

Ismail, N. I. A. A., & Elgzar, W. T. I. (2018). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on post cesarean section pain, quality of sleep and physical activities limitation. International Journal of Studies in Nursing, 3(3), 14.

Rausch, S. M., Gramling, S. E., & Auerbach, S. M. (2006). Effects of a single session of large-group meditation and progressive muscle relaxation training on stress reduction, reactivity, and recovery. International Journal of Stress Management, 13(3), 273.

Zamenjani, M., N., Masmouei, B., Harorani, M., Ghafarzadegan, R., Davodabady, F., Zahedi, S., & Davodabady, Z. (2019). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on cancer patients’ self-efficacy. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 34, 70-75.

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LMSW, MSW (U/S), LMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com
Previous

Guided Imagery 101
Next

Pranayama 101