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Progressive muscle
relaxation [PMR] is a relaxation technique of stress management
developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson in 1934. This
progressive muscle relaxation technique is focused on tensing and
releasing tensions in the 16 different muscle groups. Jacobson reasoned
that since muscular tension is usually followed as a by product of
anxiety, one can lower and reduce anxiety by understanding and learning
how to self relax those muscular tension. (McCallie et al., 2006)
Joseph
Wolpe (Conrad and Roth, 2006 ) further adjusted this technique for use
with systematic desensitization in 1948. Subsequently, both Bernstein
and Borkovec in 1973 (Bernstein and Borkovec, 1973) came out with
adjustments to the technique to suit cognitive behavioral stress
management. Empirical proofs also supports the use of progressive
muscle relaxation in high level tension responses and mind body
techniques such as: irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, reducing
tension headaches, adjunct treatment in cancer and chronic pain
management in inflammatory arthritis.(McCallie et al., 2006)
Let
us take a closer look at what exactly is progressive muscle relaxation
and how does this technique work. The idea behind progressive muscle
relaxation is simply that of isolating one muscle group at a time, then
intentionally creating muscle tension for 8-10 seconds, and then
allowing the muscle to totally relax so as to release the tensions.
Taking
for instance, when we take our right hand and tighten it into a fist
with all our force, we can feel the muscle tension slowly increase in
our hand and all the way up to the forearm. The longer we hold the
tension and force, the more tense the arm becomes. The body will then
become conscious that it does not feel comfortable in this position at
all, where pain might even start to occur.
The above
demonstrates an instance of intentionally exaggerated muscle tension in
the body. When such tension exists around the forehead, one would
usually experience headache and if it is around the neck area, a neck
ache would be experienced. When the body continued to hold the muscle
tension and then all at once, relax and totally let go, a difference
will be felt when the hand is allowed to flop down onto the lap. The
muscles around the arm now start to relax, and the muscle tension
slowly flows away and disappears.
Based on the principle
of muscle physiology, this process of relaxation is proven to work. The
muscle has to relax whenever tension is being created in a muscle and
then release. This happens because the muscle does not have a choice
and it must react in this manner.
The interesting part of
this process is that the muscle will not only quickly relax back to its
pre-tensed state, and when it is allowed to rest, the muscle will
become even more relaxed that it was before the tension was created.
When this procedure of creating tension in the muscles and then
releasing of the tension is applied to every major muscle group of the
body, all of these muscles will become more relaxed prior to the
beginning.
The main idea to initiating the relaxation
response in this way is to take control of the voluntary muscles
through creation of tension in them, followed by forcing them into a
state of relaxation. When the body is aware of the presence of the
tension, it will respond by triggering the muscles to relax, where the
rest of the other components of the relaxation response will naturally
follow.
Lesser oxygen is needed for relaxed muscle and
hence the rate of breathing is slow. Since the heart does not require
to be beating so fast to supply oxygen out to tense muscles, heart rate
and blood pressure decline. Thus the normal blood flow will returns to
the belly and digestion resumes where the belly is calmed and also the
hands and feet are warmed up. As a result, this series of body
adaptations all occur and fall naturally into place as the voluntary
muscles are being directed into a state of relaxation, and changes in
mood followed which make the body feeling calm and refreshed.
The
progressive muscle relaxation procedure teaches you to relax your
muscles through a two steps process. Through repetitive practices, the
body quickly learns to recognize and differentiate the associated
feelings between a tensed muscle and a completely relaxed muscle. Using
this simple knowledge, the body can then induce physical muscular
relaxation when the body first becomes aware of the signs of the
tension that accompanies anxiety. With physical relaxation, the mental
will also be more readily focused and able to maintain more calm.
To
further enhance the benefits of being both physically and mentally
relaxed, the body need to always stay as relaxed as possible. This is
achievable if there is a positive transfer of the muscle relaxation
technique into daily activities. Using the principle of Taichi, it
focuses on slow rhythmic movements in a graceful manner where they mind
and body is in a relaxed condition while the body is maintaining the
correct postural alignment.
When we talked about the body
being in a relaxed position, it does not mean that the muscles are not
being used. In fact, Taichi can be considered as a high intensity
aerobic exercise when practiced using the correct scientific approach
and postural alignment. However, for many amateur Taichi practitioners,
it is often difficult for them to maintain both physically and mentally
relaxed especially when they are too focus on trying to remember the
Taichi movements and applying the taichi principles.
Thus,
the progressive muscle relaxation techniques offer a good foundation or
pathway where individual can use it to initiate the body relaxation,
then transferring this relaxation state into Taichi practice where it
can further be used to achieve both mind and body relaxation and lastly
to habitualise it into daily activities.
Hence, as we can
see there is a positive transfer of muscle relaxation from practicing
progressive muscle relaxation technique to taichi and lastly to
maintain this state of well being and feeling of relaxation during
normal daily physical activities.
To begin practicing the
progressive muscle relaxation technique, we can either sit in a
comfortable chair or lying on the bed. The main objective is to get as
comfortable as possible, and tries to avoid wearing any tight clothes
or shoes and also not to cross the legs. As for the breathing, take a
gradual deep breath and let it slow gradually and slowly.
What
we are going to perform is alternately tensing and relaxing specific
major groups of muscles. After tension is released, the muscle will
become even more relaxed than before the tensing. Focus on the feel of
the muscles, especially the distinction between tension and relaxation.
Over time, the body will become aware of any tension felt in any
specific muscle and be able to reduce that tension. This is known as
kinesthetic awareness. Before performing the progressive muscle
relaxation, if one has any problems regarding pulled muscles, broken
bones, or any medical contraindication for physical activities, need to
consult the doctor first.
- Hands - Clench the fists tightly to tense it and then relaxed. Next, the fingers are extended fully to create tension and relaxed.
- Biceps and triceps - Elbow
flexion to tense the biceps and relaxed by dropping the arm. Next, the
triceps are tensed up and then relaxed by dropping them.
- Shoulders - Pull
back the shoulders to tense the muscle and then relax them. Next, push
the shoulders forward or hunch it to create tension and then relax.
- Neck (lateral) - Keep
the shoulders in a neutral and relaxed position, the head is then
rotated slowly to the right, as far as possible and then relax. Next
rotate to the left and relax.
- Neck (forward) - Press
down the chin and tuck into your chest to tense the muscle and then
relax. Hyper extension of the neck is not advisable as it could create
too much stress on the neck.
- Mouth - Open
up the mouth as wide as possible to create tension and then relaxed.
Next, the lips are pressed together as tightly as possible to create
tension and then relaxed.
- Eyes - Open the eyes as wide as possible to tense the muscle and then relax. Next, close the eyes tightly to tense it and then relax.
- Gluteus - Press the gluteus together tightly and raise pelvis slightly off chair to create tension and then relax.
- Quadriceps - Fully
extend both legs and raise them above the ground to tense the muscles
and then relax. Next, press the feet (heels) into the floor or foot
rest to create tension and then relax.
- Abdominal - Suck
in the stomach as much as possible to create tension and then relax
completely. Next, push out the stomach to create tension and then relax.
- Calves and feet - Plantar flexion to create tension and then relax. Next, dorsi flex as much as possible to create tension and then relax.
- Toes - Fully
extend the toes outward to create tension and then relax. Next, bend
the toes up as far as possible to create tension and then relax.
Lastly,
let the whole body to remain relax for a while and feel the relaxation
of all the muscles. After continued practices, there should be a
gradual progression in muscle relaxation and then habitualising this
into Taichi practices and finally to daily activities. These relaxation
exercises will not eliminate tension, but when it arises, the body will
be aware immediately, and the body will be able to respond positively
to remove the tension away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Coach Yip has
written various articles relating to Taichi and Sports Science. He has
also previously conducted Taichi & Sports Science seminars. Coach
Yip took up Taekwondo since young and attained his black belt before he
started learning Taichi. He had participated and achieved many medals
in various National Wushu Competitions.
Coach Yip is
currently NROC registered with the Singapore Sports Council under
Wushu/Taichi with a NCAP III certificate. Coach Yip approaches Taichi
in a very scientific research based and systematically training system.
Besides
giving personal and small group private coaching, he also specializes
in Wushu/Taichi coaching for Kids in schools and has previously
conducted various Mass Wushu Workout for Kids, ranging from primary to
junior college level. To date, more than a thousand students had
benefited from his Sports Scientific Wushu & Taichi coaching.
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REFERENCES
BERNSTEIN,
D. A. & BORKOVEC, T. D. (1973) Progressive relaxation training: A
manual for the helping profession. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
CONRAD, A. & ROTH, W. T. (2006 ) Muscle relaxation
therapy for anxiety disorders: It works but how? Journal of Anxiety
Disorders Volume 21, Pg 243-264.
HOLLAND, J., MORROW, G.,
SCHMALE, A., DEROGATIS, L., STEFANEK, M., BERENSON, S., CARPENTER, P.,
BREITBART, W. & FELDSTEIN, M. (1991) A randomized clinical trial of
alprazolam versus progressive muscle relaxation in cancer patients with
anxiety and depressive symptoms. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 9.
MCCALLIE, S, M., BLUM, M, C., HOOD & J, C. (2006)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social
Environment, Volume 13, Number 3, 13 July 2006 , pp.51-66(16).
OHMORI, F., SHIMIZU, S. & KAGAYA, A. (2007) Exercise-induced blood flow in relation to muscle relaxation period. Vol 6
SERMSAK LOLAK, M., L, G., CONNORS, J, M., SHERIDAN & WISE, T. N.
(2008) Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training on Anxiety and
Depression in Patients Enrolled in an Outpatient Pulmonary
Rehabilitation Program. Vol. 77, No. 2, 2008
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