Progressive Muscle Relaxation 101

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.