Relaxation therapies differ in philosophy and method. In any case, the goal is to use the power of the mind and body to achieve a sense of relaxation and lowered metabolism. Relaxation therapy interventions may incorporate breathing exercises and involve relaxing the body. These interventions may involve techniques such as diversion or visualization. Relaxation therapy differs from progressive muscle relaxation in that the specific technique of sequential muscle relaxation is not necessarily used. Simple visualization may involve imagining a relaxing setting and differs from guided imagery. In guided imagery, specific types of mental images are elicited to affect specific aspects of the experience. The effectiveness of simple relaxation therapy has been examined in the treatment of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep-wake disturbances, and hot flashes.
Luebbert, K., Dahme, B., & Hasenbring, M. (2001). The effectiveness of relaxation training in reducing treatment related symptoms and improving emotional adjustment in acute and non-surgical cancer treatment: A meta-analytical review. Psycho-Oncology, 10, 490–502.
Databases searched included MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and CANCERLIT.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted 1980–1995
Authors analyzed 15 studies.
Authors reported a small but significant effect on treatment-related symptoms, a significant medium effect on depression, and a small effect on anxiety.
Consistency of positive results showed reductions in treatment-related side effects and improved emotional adjustment.
Lutgendorf, S.K., Mullen-Houser, E., Russell, D., Degeest, K., Jacobson, G., Hart, L., . . . Lubaroff, D.M. (2010). Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 24, 1231–1240.
To examine the effects of healing touch on natural killer (NK) cell activity, mood, and specific clinical and quality-of-life outcomes among women receiving chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer
After consent, patients randomized to one of three treatment arms: healing touch, relaxation, and control (usual care). The healing touch and relaxation interventions were administered individually four days per week throughout chemoradiation, on nonchemotherapy days, immediately following radiation. Healing touch participants received on average 15.25 (±6.97) sessions versus 11.75 (±5.20) sessions for relaxation (p = 0.08). Psychosocial surveys were completed for a total of four assessments (including baseline) over six weeks of chemoradiation. Each healing touch or relaxation session lasted 20–30 minutes and was delivered by experienced practitioners.
Active treatment
Prospective, randomized clinical trial with repeated measures
Results indicate that, in patients with cervical cancer who are undergoing chemoradiation, healing touch may be effective in preventing some aspects of decreased immunity and reducing depressed mood.
Complementary interventions may be an important adjunct for patients during active treatment, in both improving depressed mood as well as maintaining immunocompetence. However, the intervention must be feasible and acceptable to patients. This very well-reported study took five years to accrue a final sample of 51 patients (fewer than one patient per month), which illustrates the complexity of performing such research.
Sloman, R. (2002). Relaxation and imagery for anxiety and depression control in community patients with advanced cancer. Cancer Nursing, 25, 432–435.
To determine the efficacy of relaxation and imagery for control of depression and anxiety
Patients were assigned to one of four treatment conditions:
A trained nurse taught patients the techniques in their homes, left a tape recorder and cassette, and asked subjects to practice the technique(s) twice daily. The nurse visited twice weekly to repeat the sessions.
In the control group, the nurse spent an equal amount of time with subjects, discussing general health and treatment concerns.
Investigators conducted pretesting. Post-testing occurred, for all subjects, three weeks after the initial session.
The sample was composed of 26 men and 30 women. All participants had advanced cancer and were receiving palliative care.
All three treatment groups showed significant reduction in depression, compared to the control group. No one treatment proved to be significantly superior, and none of the three treatments produced a significant reduction in anxiety.