Definition
Relaxation training refers to a diverse group of strategies designed to help people voluntarily release tension and relax the mind and body. Through such techniques as deep breathing, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization, people learn to control fear and anxiety and to improve stress and pain management.
Current Knowledge
Relaxation training was originally created in the early 1930s by Edmund Jacobson as a means to decrease nervous system arousal and promote well-being. Deep breathing is the foundation for all relaxation techniques and involves the act of breathing deeply into the lungs by flexing the diaphragm rather than breathing shallowly by flexing the rib cage. Deep breathing is crucial to these skills because controlling breath intake can prevent a person from breathing too rapidly and shallowly, thus avoiding hyperventilation. Biofeedback is a technique that uses electrodes and other monitoring instruments to measure and relay information...
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References and Readings
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Segal, D.L., Feliciano, L. (2017). Relaxation Training. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_425-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_425-2
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