Overview

Relaxation therapy is a behavioral therapy used to relieve psychological stress and fatigue. It can be guided by a therapist or trainer or practiced alone.

Stress might increase nervous system activity, which could have a negative effect on certain conditions. Relaxation therapy might decrease nervous system activity, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and improve mood in people with certain conditions.

People use relaxation therapy for stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, chest pain, headache, fibromyalgia, and many other purposes, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.

Don't confuse relaxation therapy with guided imagery, mantra meditation, mindfulness, tai chi, or yoga. These are not the same.



Uses & Effectiveness

Possibly Effective for

  • Chest pain (angina). Relaxation therapy seems to reduce how often people with angina have chest pain. It might also improve their ability to exercise.
  • Anxiety. Relaxation therapy might somewhat reduce anxiety. But it might not work as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or meditation.
  • Depression. Relaxation therapy seems to reduce symptoms of depression in some people. But it doesn't seem to work as well as other treatments, such as CBT.
  • A type of persistent anxiety marked by exaggerated worry and tension (generalized anxiety disorder or GAD). Relaxation therapy seems to reduce symptoms of GAD, and it seems to work as well as CBT.
  • High blood pressure. Relaxation therapy seems to reduce blood pressure by a small amount in people with high blood pressure.

There is interest in using relaxation therapy for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Side Effects



Special Precautions and Warnings



Relaxation therapy is likely safe. There are no known safety concerns.

Pregnancy: Relaxation therapy is likely safe to use while pregnant. There are no known safety concerns.

Breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if relaxation therapy is safe to use when breast-feeding. But there's no reason to expect safety concerns.

Interactions

We currently have no information for Relaxation Therapy overview.

Dosing

Relaxation therapy uses a variety of methods to achieve relaxation, including imagery, breathing exercises, focused muscle tensing and relaxing, and others. It's often combined with other practices, including guided imagery and biofeedback. It can be practiced alone or with a therapist or trainer. Talk to your physician or other healthcare professional to learn more about how relaxation therapy is used for specific conditions.
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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
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