RELAXATION 2
General relaxation
• The basic condition for general relaxation , which may
prove effective without additional methods include:
1.Support
2.Comfort
3.Restful atmosphere
Approaches to relaxation training
• Autogenic training. It involves conscious relaxation through
autosuggestion and a progression of exercises
• Progressive relaxation. It uses systemic, distal to proximal
progression of voluntary contraction and relaxation of muscles.
• Awareness through the movement. It combines sensory
awareness, movements of the limbs and trunk, deep breathing,
conscious relaxation procedures, and self-massage to alter muscle
imbalances and abnormal postural alignment to remediate muscle
tension and pain.
Sequence for progressive relaxation techniques
1. Place the patient in quiet area and in a comfortable position, and be sure that
restrictive clothing is loosened.
2. Have the patient breath in a deep, relaxed manner.
3. Ask the patient to contract the distal musculature in the hands or feet voluntarily
for several (5 to 7) seconds and then consciously relax those muscles for 20 to 30
seconds.
4. Suggest that the patient try to feel a sense of heaviness in the hands or feet and a
sense of warmth in the muscle just relaxed.
5. Progress to a more proximal area of the body and have the patient
actively contract and actively relax the proximal musculature.
6. Suggest to the patient that he or she should feel a sense of
relaxation and warmth throughout the entire limb and eventually
throughout the whole body
LOCAL RELAXATION
Uses of local relaxation
•Preparatory to massage and passive movement.
•For relief of spasm.
•To prevent adaptive shortening.
Method Of Local Relaxation
1)Heat:
superficial or deep heat is applied to increase circulation to the soft
tissue. (increase soft tissue extensibility prior stretching exercises)
2) Massage:
superficial and deep massage can be used to increase local
circulation and decrease muscle spasm.
3) Biofeedback:
it reduce the amount of tension in a muscle (visual and /or auditory
biofeedback).
4) Joint traction or oscillation:
slight manual distraction of joint surface can be
used to decrease muscle spasm around the joint.
5) Contrast method
Physiology
 Strong contraction of the muscle is followed by an
equal relaxation of the same muscle or
Excitation= inhibition
 Technique
• The technique consists of sequence of contractions of the
muscles performed, usually, in a distal to proximal sequence in
each limb or pair of limbs in turn followed by letting go or
relaxation for an equal or longer period of time
• Then the contractions for each limb part are usually added to
one another so that tension in the limb is total and relaxation
should be controlled in reverse sequence
 Value
• It can be used for a limited part of the body, for example,
• for relaxation of the hand or of the shoulder girdle or of the hip
adductors and lateral rotators.
6) Reciprocal method
 physiology
The antagonistic groups of the muscles always relax reciprocally
and to equally to the contraction of the agonist group of muscles.
Tension will be relieved by contraction of the antagonistic muscles.
technique
The sequence used is more usually proximal to distal
7)
Suggestion method
 Technique
In this technique the therapist provides comfortable relaxing
conditions for patient:
• A warm well-ventilated room
• A comfortable support
• Light covering
• Then by using quiet hypotonic mellow tones
• The patient is told to think about each part of the body in turn. To
think that it is very heavy and this suggestion is repeated several
times until the limb gives the appearance of relaxation, e.g. until
the lower limb is rolled out
8) Pendular swinging
The technique
• This is used for relaxation of the limbs. The arm/s or leg/s may be
swung back and forward until they feel numb. . The sensory
receptors have accommodated to the constant movement. This
type of swinging may be aided by adding from a 1/2 to 1 kg
weight to the limb
Value
• This type of swinging is of particular value to reduce the rigidity of
Parkinsonism, but is also used for shorter periods of time to
mobilize joints by patient activity. It is the most suitable for the
shoulder, hips, knee and lumbar spine
9) Active inhibition techniques:
 They are reflex relaxation procedures that therapist use to inhibit
muscle prior to stretching or lengthening.
Active inhibition techniques include:
1) Contract- relax
2) Contract - relax –contract
3) Agonist contraction
1-Contract – relax (hold- relax)
• Start with the tight muscle in comfortably lengthened
position
• Ask the patient to isometrically contract the tight
muscle against resistance for 5 to10 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat the procedure several times.
2- Contract – relax- contract
(hold- relax- Contract):
• Follow the same procedure as done for contract- relax,
then ask the patient to perform concentric contraction
of the muscle opposite to the tight muscle.
3-Agonist contraction
• Passively lengthen the tight muscle to a comfortable position.
• The patient perform a dynamic contraction of the muscle
opposite the tight muscle.
• Apply mild resistance to the contracting muscle, but allow joint
movement to occur.
• The tight muscle will relax as a result of reciprocal inhibition.
Assessment Of Relaxation
• By sight
• By palpation
• By passive movement
• By shacking the limb
• By raising the limb and sudden fall down
• By EMG