Overview

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is one of the simplest and easiest to learn techniques for relaxation. It is a widely-used procedure that was originally developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. Dr. Jacobson published Progressive Relaxation in 1938, detailing this method of relaxation involving alternately tensing and relaxing 14 different muscle groups.

Research

PMR was originally used to treat symptoms of anxiety, but more recently it has been found to be effective for treating tension headaches, migraines, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), neck pain, insomnia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, backaches, and high blood pressure. (For more information, refer to “Mind and Emotions.”) PMR is a recommended practice to relax the body and mind at bedtime to fall asleep more easily and get a deeper night sleep. It was rated an effective nonpharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (1999).

What It Is

PMR is a two-step relaxation practice to reduce stress and build awareness of sensations of tension and deep relaxation in various muscle groups. The first step in this practice is to create tension in specific muscle groups and begin to notice what tension feels like in this body part. The second step is to then release this muscle tension and begin to notice what a relaxed muscle feels like as the tension drains away. By moving through the body by alternately tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in a certain order, one builds awareness of how to recognize and differentiate between the associated feelings of a tensed muscle and a completely relaxed one.

Often, it is recommended to create tension and relaxation several times in the same muscle groups, with diminishing degrees of tension, to deepen awareness and train the body to more deeply relax. Through repetitive practice, a person can then induce physical muscular relaxation at the first signs of the tension that accompanies stress. After the practice, there may be one or two areas that are still tense, requiring one to repeat tensing and relaxing that muscle group.