Mental skills training for sport is reviewed in relation to general cognitive-somatic techniques. These techniques include mental rehearsal, mental imagery and visualization, visuo-motor behavior rehearsal, cognitive-behavior therapy, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation. It is concluded that the initial and continued ability to self-monitor, though enhanced by mental skill...

OBJECTIVE Effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exist, but additional treatment options are needed. The effectiveness of 8 sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for adult OCD was compared with progressive relaxation training (PRT). METHOD Seventy-nine adults (61% female) diagnosed with OCD (mean age = 37 years; 89% Caucasian) participated in a randomized c...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Rural patients with anxiety often lack access to traditional biofeedback modalities. Exercise heart rate monitors (HRMs) are tools used in the fitness industry to provide athletes with feedback on heart rate and regulatory breathing strategies. HRMs are inexpensive, discrete, and publicly accessible. This randomized controlled pilot study explored whether use of HRMs f...

The purpose of this study was to examine whether acute relaxation training, conducted on two separate occasions, would be associated with reliable reductions in subjective and physiological indices of stress. Forty-six experimental subjects were led through Abbreviated Progressive Relaxation Training (APRT) exercises during two laboratory sessions spaced exactly 1 week apart. Fifteen control su...

This case report describes the evaluation process and therapeutic intervention of a 19 year-old woman with adjustment disorder. The change of city of residence and transition from high school to university generated high levels of anxiety, especially when under social and evaluative situations. The treatment was structured in 12 weekly sessions. The therapy was focused on thought observation tr...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of relaxation on preterm labor outcome. DESIGN Quasi-experimental, with women who experienced preterm labor randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. The experimental group was to do a daily relaxation exercise. A third group was added to the study: women who were originally assigned to the relaxation group but were unable to adhere to the daily pra...

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an attention training technique (ATT) on pain ratings, threshold and tolerance during the cold pressor task. One hundred and three undergraduate students were randomly assigned to receive either threat-alleviating or threat-inducing information about the task. Participants were then re-randomized to receive either ATT or progressive muscle relaxat...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to provide cancer patients with a psychosocial group intervention consisting of 3 parts, i.e., education on how to cope with stress and solve problems, group discussions, and progressive muscle relaxation, and to investigate the intervention techniques of Japanese facilitators. METHODS Group interventions for breast cancer patients performed by 3 fac...

Background: Cancer patients face a number of problems, among those pain and fatigue are the most common. To manage pain and fatigue among cancer patients, studies now a days are even focusing on use of non-pharmacological/ non invasive methods as exercises, imagery etc. But studies on effect of progressive muscle relaxation (P.M.R) exercises on pain and fatigue among admitted patients are scarc...

BACKGROUND Recently, there has been an interest in the relative effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) within the multidisciplinary treatment of patients with schizophrenia.The present study is aimed at providing evidence on the efficacy of PMR as means of alleviating the state anxiety and psychological distress and a way to increase subjective well-being in chronic patients with ...