In today’s world, stress and tension are commonplace. It often happens involuntarily that muscles in the body tense without us noticing. The American physician and physiologist Edmund Jacobson first recognized connections between chronic muscle tension and most diseases at the end of the 19th century. This later became progressive muscle relaxation, often called progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson.
What is progressive muscle relaxation?
Progressive muscle relaxation, also called progressive muscle relaxation, is a procedure that induces deep relaxation in the body by consciously tensing and then relaxing specific muscle groups in succession. Progressive muscle relaxation, also called progressive muscle relaxation, is a procedure that induces deep relaxation in the body by consciously tensing and then relaxing certain muscle groups one after the other. Jacobson had recognized that not only mental tension leads to physical tension, but also recognized and proved that it also works the other way around, that relaxed muscles contribute to mental relaxation. With progressive muscle relaxation, he developed a method that is now one of the most important relaxation methods and is easy to learn.
Function, effect and goals
Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation is one of the best-known methods for preventing and reducing stress. In addition, this method sensitizes the body to perceive and counteract tension more quickly. Progressive muscle relaxation is used wherever stress symptoms need to be alleviated. It is often used as part of behavioral therapy or pain therapy. Progressive muscle relaxation (PME) can be used to treat or relieve the following conditions, among others:
- Stress symptoms in general
- Muscle tension
- Headaches, migraines
- Back pain
- High blood pressure
- Stomach/intestinal problems
- Sleep disorders
- Various fears (fear of flying, test anxiety, phobias, anxiety disorders in general).
Progressive muscle relaxation is also used in the preparation for childbirth, in addition to night grinding of teeth, which can cause painful jaw problems, stuttering, in principle, all health problems where stress plays a role. The principle of progressive muscle relaxation is easy to learn and is offered as a course at most adult education centers. First, certain muscle groups are tensed, the tension is then held for a short moment and then relaxed again. By tensing before relaxing, the body better feels the beneficial effect of relaxation. One after the other, 16 muscle groups are first tensed and then relaxed again. The exercises can be performed either lying or sitting. The more intensively the muscle groups are tensed beforehand, the more noticeable the relaxation afterwards. If you do the exercises regularly, you will develop a special feeling for the interplay between tension and relaxation. Regular practice is important for success. Some health insurance companies already cover the costs of courses. The primary goal of progressive muscle relaxation is to prevent health problems of any kind. It should achieve that the body is able to develop a balanced relationship between tension and relaxation and a greater serenity. Regular exercises strengthen the well-being and lead to a more sensitive body perception, so that stress-related tensions can be better recognized and remedied in time. In addition, the exercises improve the ability to concentrate. Progressive muscle relaxation gives the practitioners the feeling of being able to relieve stress and tension themselves and to do something for their health care on their own initiative.
Risks, side effects, and dangers
Even though Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation is a great and easy-to-learn relaxation method to relieve stress, it cannot be recommended to everyone without restrictions. Caution is advised for people suffering from heart problems, uncontrollable high blood pressure, psychoses or nervous disorders.Also, for people who are obsessive, hypochondriacal or paranoid, the method can have the opposite effect of what is actually intended. Hypochondriacs listen to themselves all the time anyway, so progressive muscle relaxation would be counterproductive. Special care should also be taken with anxiety. For headaches it generally helps very well, but for bad migraines it should rather be used with caution. Sensitive people may experience a drop in blood pressure or hyperventilate. Existing asthma may increase during the exercises.
