Benefits of Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Medically reviewed by Stephanie Hartselle, MD
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a stress management technique that offers health benefits, including improved sleep, reduced blood pressure, and better control of chronic pain. This practice involves the sequential tightening and relaxation of muscles throughout the body to identify and relieve areas of muscle tension.
PMR can be performed by itself daily (particularly if you have high levels of stress or anxiety) or as part of other mind-body practices like yoga and meditation.
This article explains how progressive muscle relaxation works, including the benefits of PMR and how to do it in the privacy of your home.
Getty Images / Tom Werner
What Is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?
Progressive muscle release is a technique of deep muscle relaxation developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson during the 1920s. Also known as the Jacobson technique, PMR involves the conscious tensing and relaxing of muscles throughout the body in a specific order to relieve stress.
PMR was created to increase awareness about where your body holds tension so that you can teach yourself how to let it go. It is a non-drug approach to stress relief that counteracts the sympathetic nervous system (a part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates involuntary body functions).
The sympathetic nervous system triggers the "fight-or-flight response" that kicks in whenever you are stressed, causing your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate to increase. At the same time, it also causes muscles to contract (tighten), a phenomenon referred to as inotropy.
By consciously contracting and then relaxing muscles, you are sending signals to the brain telling it that the body is "out of danger." This will activate the parasympathetic nervous system which regulates body functions at rest, causing heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate to drop.
When to Avoid PMR
Progressive muscle relaxation should not be performed if you have back pain, injuries, or muscle spasms. The practice could make your symptoms worse.
Benefits of Progressive Muscle Relaxation
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of PMR in relieving symptoms related to or aggravated stress.
Anxiety and Depression
A 2015 study in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported that among 130 people with pulmonary arterial hypertension—half of whom engaged in daily PMR for 12 weeks and half of whom didn't—PMR was associated with dramatic improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life scores.
Based on subjective scoring, people who engaged in PMR reported an almost 50% decrease in anxiety and depression compared to those who did not use PMR and showed no improvement.
Blood Pressure
A four-week study published in the journal Medicine in 2023 reported that PMR was able to reduce both systolic (upper) and diastolic (lower) blood pressure readings in 16 adults with essential hypertension (the type of high blood pressure caused by things like obesity, poor diet, and family history).
By Week 4, PMR was associated with an average drop in the systolic blood pressure of 6 mmHg and an average drop in the diastolic blood pressure of 4 mmHg.
Migraine and Tension Headaches
PMR can support the pharmaceutical treatment of migraine and tension headaches. It is thought to reduce the severity and/or frequency of headaches by relaxing pericranial myofascial tissues in the deep scalp. The contraction of these tissues is thought to contribute to both migraines and tension headaches.
A 2016 study in the Journal of Headache Pain reported that among 35 people with migraines, PMR practiced daily for three months decreased the average number of migraine days per month from six to three.
Similar results were seen in people with tension headaches.
Chronic Joint or Nerve Pain
PMR is increasingly used in the treatment of chronic joint pain conditions like osteoarthritis (OA) as well as chronic nerve pain disorders like fibromyalgia.
According to a 2021 review of studies in the journal Heliyon, PMR is especially useful in managing chronic OA neck pain, improving the range of motion, rotation, and flexion of the neck and cervical spine.
Similar effects were seen in older females with OA, who reported reduced pain and improved mobility after 12 weeks of twice-daily PMR.
A pilot study in 2022 reported similar results in adults with fibromyalgia who practiced PMR only twice weekly for eight weeks. At the end of the study period, the self-reported pain scores were significantly reduced among the PMR group but not the non-PMR group. Blood pressure, heart rate, and fatigue symptoms were also reduced.
Jaw Pain
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction is a painful condition caused when the sliding hinge of the jaw is compromised, causing jaw stiffness, locking, and the spread of pain to the face and neck.
A 2019 study from Poland found that PMR dramatically reduced TMJ pain in the three masticatory (chewing) muscles of the jaw.
Compared to 50 adults with TMJ who did not practice PMR, those who did had a roughly 50% drop in pain in the masseter and temporal muscles (which shut the jaw) and a 40% drop in pain in the pterygoid muscle (which opens the jaw). Sleep was also dramatically improved.
Sleep Problems
PMR is thought to help overcome sleep problems like insomnia by decreasing blood pressure, stimulating circulation, and enabling the transition to the parasympathetic nervous system.
A study conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that PMR practiced for 30 minutes for five consecutive days decreased anxiety scores by around 15% and improved sleep quality scores by more than 30% in people with stress-related insomnia.
In contrast, a matched set of adults who did not practice PMR had no change in their anxiety or sleep quality scores.
How to Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation can be performed daily or on demand. Sessions can run anywhere from five to 30 minutes or more.
Progressive muscle relaxation should be performed in a quiet environment. Begin in a comfortable position—either lying down or sitting. Before you start, notice how your body feels and if there are any areas with more tension than others.
Helpful Tip
During PMR, focus on your breathing. Breathe in as you tense your muscles and breathe out as you relax. Don't hold your breath; this will increase tension in your body which is what you are trying to avoid.
PMR will often start at your head and move down. Once you start, you'll contract muscle groups in a sequential order.
Tense the muscles on both sides of your body at the same time for five seconds, then relax fully. Try this sequence:
Squeeze and relax the muscles in your forehead.
Clench and relax your teeth.
Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then relax your tone.
Press your lips together, then relax your lips.
Shrug and relax your shoulders.
Tense and relax the muscles in your upper arms.
Clench and relax your fists.
Tighten and relax the muscles in your forearms.
Tighten and relax your abdominal muscles.
Arch your back, then relax the back muscles.
Squeeze and relax your buttocks.
Tighten and relax the muscles on the front and back of your thighs.
Pull your toes up toward your head, then relax.
Point your toes downward, then relax.
Curl your toes, then relax.
Repeat tightening and relaxing the muscles as needed in any areas of the body where you still feel tension.
PMR can be performed by following a script. You might find it easier to relax your mind if you are following the instructions either in person or by listening to a pre-scripted recording.
Where to Find PMR Audio Recordings
There are a variety of PMR audio recordings online to help you better manage stress. Here are several university-based recordings to start the journey:
Brigham Young University Counseling and Psychological Services
University of Melbourne Counselling and Psychological Services
Summary
Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that involves the tightening and relaxing of muscles throughout your body to achieve relaxation and reduce stress. PMR should be performed in a quiet environment where you can relax and focus on your breathing.
Studies suggest that PMR can help reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate. It may also improve sleep and help you manage chronic joint or nerve pain.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
