Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Where stress and other anxieties have caused a patient to be overcome with emotion, Progressive Muscle Relaxation can be utilised to assist the patient in releasing these concerns and thus more rationally dealing with their problems. Using a step-by-step approach, this fact sheet practically instructs patients how to act, thus is an ideal hand-out or tip-sheet.

Although intended for cancer patients, this fact sheet would be equally applicable to other patients as well as health professionals more generally.

Strategies included:

• Education of muscle groups;
• Understanding of the feeling of muscle relaxation;
• Stimulating imagery and relaxing thoughts;
• Focus of breathing technique; etc.

This fact sheet is sourced from Ausmed Publications' textbook: 'Psychosocial Care of Cancer Patients: A health professional's guide to what to say and do', editors Dr Jemma Gilchrist & Dr Katharine Hodgkinson, (2008) chapter eight: 'Stress and Anxiety', by Dr Jemma Gilchrist.

Author: Dr Jemma Gilchrist

Dr Jemma Gilchrist is a senior clinical psychologist with clinical experience in psycho-oncology. Since 1999 she has worked in two separate tertiary oncology services providing psychosocial care to adults with a wide range of cancer diagnoses as well as their families and carers. Jemma has experience in educating other health professionals on the role of psychosocial support and interventions in the oncology setting. In addition she is an honorary associate of the University of Sydney and provides clinical supervision to clinical psychology interns at master's level. She completed her doctorate in 1995 in the area of children's eyewitness memory, and has published in the areas of interviewing children about stressful events, the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and postnatal depression. She has longstanding interest in the impact and treatment of anxiety in the medically unwell.

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