The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in improving psychological well-being and quality-of-life for breast and prostate cancer patients: Initial report
Image via Wikipedia
As many of you know, I am going to invest a considerable amount of time and energy researching MBM modalities in the oncological setting. Partially because MBM modalities, when combined with standard treatment, show great promise to increase quality of life, reduce anxiety, pain intensity, and possibly even extend life.
For a thorough description of my research interests please visit my Guided Imagery page at my website www.WernerAbsenger.com and my page about Mind-Body Skills Groups .
Right now I just wanted to bring awareness on research that is being done at Cyprus University. The following abstract by Andreas, C. (2011). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in improving psychological well-being and quality-of-life for breast and prostate cancer patients: Initial report just appeared in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine.
Introduction: This study aimed to determine whether relaxation and guided imagery techniques have the potential to reduce anxiety, depression, pain intensity and improve quality-of-life for prostate and breast cancer patients.
Materials and method: Two-hundred patients with breast and prostate cancer were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 100) or the control group (n = 100). Only patients in the intervention group received relaxation and guided imagery sessions. Each participant received 4 sessions of relaxation followed by guided imagery. Saliva was collected before and after the sessions and analyzed. Other measurements included assessment of quality-of-life (EORTC QLQ-30, Breast Module-BR23, and Prostate Module-PR25), pain intensity (pain intensity rating scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale-SAS).
Results: Even though the study has not yet been completed initial results show that the amylase level was significantly decreased after the relaxation and guided imagery sessions in the intervention group compared to the control group. Similarly, cortisol levels were also found to be lower in the intervention group compared to the control group, however to a lesser degree. Quality-of-life (P = 0.003), anxiety (P = 0.008), depression (P = 0.004), and pain ratings (P = 0.005) also show a positive response to the interventions.
Conclusion: Salivary α-amylase levels were significantly reduced and reacted more rapidly than cortisol levels to the interventions, suggesting that it is a better relaxation index. The use of Mind-Body techniques appears effective in reducing the levels of anxiety, depression and body discomfort in patients who have breast or prostate cancer. These simple, inexpensive and non-invasive interventions have the potential to enhance the psychological and physical wellness in these patients.
If you are a cancer patient or a caretaker/loved one of a cancer patient you might be interested in Mind-Body Skills Groups forming in West Michigan. We’ll be exploring Guided Imagery mentioned in this study and many other Mind-Body modalities. For more information visit my page about Mind-Body Skills Groups.
The quest continues to find the best combination of modalities to improve the lives of patients suffering from cancer and their caretakers/loved ones.
Thank you for reading the Alternative Medicine Blog! Your Source for Mind-Body Medicine News and Research.
Recommend this story on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +1:
Other Sharing Tools:
Writing an essay, paper, or report? Cite this story:
APA: W Absenger. (2011, October 20). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in improving psychological well being [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.amacf.org/2011/10/the-effect-of-progressive-muscle-relaxation-and-guided-imagery-in-improving-psychological-well-being.html
MLA: Absenger, Werner. "The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in improving psychological well being." The Alternative Medicine Blog. The Alternative Medicine Blog., 20 OCT. 2011. Web. Insert your date of access here.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.Beste Gesundheit,
Werner Absenger, M.Sc.
MBM Research Scientist: Visit me at www.WernerAbsenger.com
Ph.D. Student at Saybrook University’s College of Mind-Body Medicine Research Track
Sign Up For The MBM Insider Werner's Free Mind-Body Medicine Newsletter
References:
Andreas, C. (2011). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in improving psychological well-being and quality-of-life for breast and prostate cancer patients: Initial report. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 3(3), e125. doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2011.05.044
This study has me excited. It'll be nice to have real data on relaxation and guided imagery techniques and their effects on anxiety, depression and pain.
Posted by: Kratom | 2011.10.20 at 11:53
The power of the mind is a bigger factor in healing then most people understand or will even accept. I know first hand having gone through what I did that keeping a positive mental outlook combined with a lot of visualization really did help me beat it.
Posted by: Jenny Myers | 2011.10.31 at 11:34
Results are shocking little bit, it is reducing day by day, any way you are sharing great post!!
Posted by: Dr Hulda Clark | 2011.11.01 at 01:48