RELAXATAION TECHNIQUE

Relaxation techniques involve activities and body positions to reduce pain and anxiety and
promote mental and physical well-being. Such techniques may involve:

 Refocusing attention – such as areas of attention in the body

 Increasing body awareness
 Exercises (such as meditation) to connect the body and mind together
 Reducing the perception of pain

Definition: Relaxation therapy is a broad term used to describe a number of techniques that
promote stress reduction, the elimination of tension throughout the body, and a calm and
peaceful state of mind.
The aim of relaxation therapy is to quiet the mind; to allow thoughts to flow in a smooth,
level rhythm, and induce the relaxation response. This mental quiet allows for rest and
rejuvenation that does not always occur, even during sleep.

Purpose of relaxation therapy

1. Relaxation therapy techniques calm the body and provide a natural cure for symptoms
of stress and anxiety by inducing the relaxation response - the opposite of the body's
stress response.

Relaxation Techniques 
1. Jacobson technique
2. Alexander technique
3. Mitchell’s relaxation technique
Jacobson Technique
1) Progressive relaxation (1970)
Principle-
- Contraction phase is 1 minute and relaxation phase is 3 minutes for one group of
muscle.
- Then the opposite group of muscle contract and relax.
- Finally both the muscle group relax.
- Jacobson emphasized on concentration or awareness of tension which he called
“learned awareness”
Condition for giving this technique:
- Quite room
- Large space with wooden floor
- Mat for lying down and pillow under head.
Technique:
- The muscle action is demonstrated. The purpose of this technique should be told to
the patient.
- Then the client/patient is asked to lie in supine with arms by the side of the body.
- Exercise starts with eyes open, after 4-5 minutes finish exercise and close eyes for
few minutes.
- 1st session: Extend the left wrist for 1 minute------ concentrate on muscle tension-----
suddenly lower it and leave it for 3 minutes.
- 2nd session: Wrist bend forward (flexion) for 1 minute----- suddenly relax it----
maintain for 3 minutes.
- 3rd session: Now time is given to release tension in both group of muscles and no
muscle tension should be there.
- Subsequent session are spent by demonstration other action like flexing elbow,
shoulder etc.
Items:
A. For upper extremity
- Extending wrist
- Flexing wrist
- Relax both
- Extend elbow
- Flex elbow
- Relax both
- Stiffened whole arm
B. For lower extremity
- Foot dorsiflex
- Foot plantarflex
- Relax both
- Knee flexion
- Knee extension
- Relax both
- Hip flex
- Hip extend
- Relax both
- Stiffened whole leg

C. For trunk
- 10 items including abdomen , back
D. For Neck
- 6 items
E. For Speech
- 4 items
F. For vision
- 9 items

2) Progressive relaxation Training(PRT)

- It is a modified form of progressive relaxation.
- This approach is defined as “paying attention to a specific group of muscle while
tensing and relaxing both groups.
Aim:
- To achieve deep relaxation in a short period
- Excess tension during stress inducing conditions can be relearned
- Client works on sequential tensing and relaxing of 16 muscle groups-stage1
- Stage II- reduce to 7 muscle groups
- Stage III- Reduced to 4 muscle groups
- Stage IV- Tension component is withdrawn i.e relaxation through recall.
- Stage V- mental summary of previous learned technique.
Procedure:
- Receive the client
- Introduction of therapist
- Attention given to specific muscle group
- Trainer gives a clue now. With the word now, muscle group is to be tensed,maintain
for 5-7 seconds. Concentrate on the sensation of contraction.
 - With clue “relax” or “let go” – relax the muscle and focus on the sensation of
relaxation. Relax for 30-40 seconds.
Items
1 Make fist with dominant hand without involving upper
2 Push elbow on same arm, down against arm or chair, while keeping hand relax.
3&4 Non dominant hand, arm work simultaneously
6 Wrinkle nose
7/8 Clenching the chin and press head back against support by tensing neck muscle
9 Draw the shoulders back
10 Tighten abdominals
11 Tense the thigh of dominating leg by contracting knee flexor and extensor together
12 Pointing dominant foot down
13 Pointing dominant foot up
14,15,16 Non dominant leg work separately
In ending session count backward from 4 to 1.
4: Start moving leg &feet
3: Bend and stretch hand and arm
2 : move head slowly
1 : Open your eyes
3. Tense- release Test (TRS)
- It is another technique given by Jacobson.
- In this technique breathing is introduced and less effort is required than previous
techniques.
- Person is asked to contract and hold for 5-10 seconds which is followed by gradual
release for 30-40 seconds.
Procedure
- Patient is positioned in sitting or lying
- The tension phase is carried out with command ‘now’ and for relaxing word ‘relax’ is
used.
- After breathing settle down, observe a natural breathing pattern.
 - After a minute of natural breathe out make it a little longer by taking the airin and
gently fill air in lungs and breathe out slowly releasing tension with air and follow
natural breathing pattern.
Items:
Arm items-
-Spider hand: a) Ask the clientto keep hand over table and to fist it. Hold for
5-10b seconds and release for 30-40 seconds.
b) The same action is repeated by using less effort
- Rod like arm- Tense all muscles of upper extremity so that whole arm becomes
rigid.
- Stretch out arm creating tension in forearm and upper arm.
Leg items-

- Feet pointing towards face- dorsiflexion in supine

- Feet pointing away from face- plantar flexion
- Toe flexion, extension
- Bridging
Abdominal muscle tensing
Shoulder bracing
Head and neck turning
Eyebrow raising and frowning
Eyes turning upward, centre, downward
Teeth togethe
Lips pressing’
Tongue up, right and left

End the session with few gentle stretches to arms and legs.
4.Passive Muscular Relaxation
- It is better because here there is no tensing component
- The person only focuses on which muscle is under tension
- It is beneficial for disabled person
- It can be done in public places.
- It is of several types:

1)Relaxation through recall

- Given by Jacobson , requires previous experience.
- First the individual focuses on one muscle group contraction
- Then he recalls sensation associated with releasing tension and maintain for 40 seconds.
2)Relaxation through recall with counting
- if the patient get skilled with relaxation through recall , this procedure can further be
shortened by introducing counting.
3) passive neuromuscular Relaxation
- It is autogenic training
Requires warm and quite room and done in a sitting or lying position.
Procedure:
- Follow natural breathing pattern
- Pay attention to head muscles
- Feel a slow warm wave of relaxation
- Gather it at top of your head descending slowly towards forehead .
- Focus on muscles of eyes and cheeks, feel them becoming heavy and relax it.
- Focus on jaw, allow them to be heavy and relax it.
- Pause for 10 sec.
- Allow to descend to lower trunk muscles.
- 10 sec pause
- Allow to come to hand
- 10 sec pause
- Allow to come to abdomen and thigh
- 10 sec pause
- Then to lower leg and calf muscle
- 10 sec pause- then to feet
- !0 sec pause- Breathe out and relax.
- After 5 min pause again beging from the starting.
4)Relaxation cripple
 - Continuous wave of relaxation begins at crown of head ,progresses down through
body to toes. As the wave descends the individual briefly scan the muscle group
releasing tension.
- The effectiveness can be increased , if it is tried along with expiration.
5) passive relaxation approach
- This procedure is used to relax by means of focusing on different parts of body and
releasing any tension if present.
Alexander Technique
- Alexander emphasized on posture:
‘Poise- the way young children use their body
In young children it is ‘natural poise’
Principle:
1. Primary control
2. Use and misuse
3. Faulty sensory perception
4. Inhibition
5. End gaining and means where by

1. Primary control