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Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Overview

When you have anxiety or stress in your life, one of the ways your body responds is with tense muscles. Progressive muscle relaxation helps you relieve this tension.

To do it, you tense a group of muscles as you breathe in, and you relax them as you breathe out. You follow a certain order as you work through the muscle groups in your body.

Practicing progressive muscle relaxation for a few weeks will help you get better at this skill. In time you will be able to use this method to relieve stress.

How do you do progressive muscle relaxation?

Choose a place where you can lie on your back and stretch out comfortably, such as a carpeted floor or a bed. Use these instructions to tense and relax muscle groups. The muscle groups, what you do, and the order you will work through the muscle groups are noted after the instructions.

When you first start, it may help to listen to a recording or an online video until you learn all the muscle groups in order.

  1. Breathe in, and tense the first muscle group for 4 to 10 seconds.

    Tense the muscle group hard but not to the point of pain or cramping.

  2. Breathe out suddenly, and completely relax the muscle group.

    Do not breathe out and relax gradually. Do it quickly!

  3. Relax for 10 to 20 seconds.

    Notice the difference between how the muscles feel when they are tense and how they feel when they are relaxed.

  4. Follow the first three steps for each muscle group.
  5. When you are finished with all of the muscle groups, count backward from 5 to 1 to bring your focus back to the present.

    After you have learned how to tense and relax each muscle group, here's something else to try. When you have a very tense muscle, you can practice tensing and relaxing that muscle area without going through the whole routine.

    Muscle groups and how to tense them

    Muscle group

    What to do

    Hands

    Clench them.

    Wrists and forearms

    Extend them, and bend your hands back at the wrist.

    Biceps and upper arms

    Clench your hands into fists, bend your arms at the elbows, and flex your biceps.

    Shoulders

    Shrug them (raise toward your ears).

    Forehead

    Wrinkle it into a deep frown.

    Around the eyes and bridge of the nose.

    Close your eyes as tightly as you can. Remove contact lenses before you start the exercise.

    Cheeks and jaws

    Smile as widely as you can.

    Around the mouth

    Press your lips together tightly. (Check your face for tension. You just want to use your lips.)

    Back of the neck

    Press the back of your head against the floor or chair.

    Front of the neck

    Touch your chin to your chest. (Try not to create tension in your neck and head.)

    Chest

    Take a deep breath, and hold it for 4 to 10 seconds.

    Back

    Arch your back up and away from the floor or chair.

    Stomach

    Suck it into a tight knot. (Check your chest and stomach for tension.)

    Hips and buttocks

    Press your buttocks together tightly.

    Thighs

    Clench them hard.

    Lower legs

    Point your toes toward your face. Then point your toes away, and curl them downward at the same time. (Check the area from your waist down for tension.)

Credits

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Dear patient

I am excited to announce that I will be relocating my practice to Houston Methodist DeBakey Cardiology Associates. Starting November 4, 2024, my new address will be:

5115 Fannin, Suite 801
Houston, TX 77004

Please note that my phone number and fax number will also change to the following:
24-Hour Telephone: 713-441-1100
Fax: 713-790-2643
Clinical Support Telephone (M-F, 8-5): 713-441-3515

I am excited about caring for you in my new office and hope you will make the transition with me. I will also continue to refill your medications as I have in the past. To assist, please provide your pharmacy with my new contact information.

Please consider checking your prescription refills to verify that you have enough medication on hand to last you until your next visit. Please note that your medical records will remain at my former office until you authorize their transfer. If you choose for me to continue providing your medical care, please complete and sign the enclosed “Authorization for Release of Medical Records” form and fax it to 713-790-2643. Once we receive your authorization, we will be happy to process the request for you.

Thank you for entrusting me with your medical care. My new team and I are dedicated to making this transition as seamless as possible. For help scheduling an appointment and transitioning your care, please call my new office number above.

I look forward to continuing your care at my new location.

Sincerely,
Gopi A. Shah, MD

Dear patient

Dr. Albert Raizner, Dr. Michael Raizner, and Dr. Mohamed El-Beheary are excited to announce that our practice, Interventional Cardiology Associates, will merge with Houston Cardiovascular Associates on November 1, 2024.

Our new offices are similarly located in Houston, near the Texas Medical Center and in Sugar Land. Our in-hospital care will continue at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center and Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Importantly, our new offices expand our services with state-of-the-art equipment and amenities. Our core values will always be, as they began over 40 years ago when Dr. Albert Raizner founded ICA:

Integrity – Compassion – Accountability

Our new address and contact information are:

Your medical records are confidential and remain available at our new locations. We consider it a privilege to serve as your cardiologists and look forward to your continuing with us. However, should you desire to transfer to another physician, you may request a copy of your records by contacting us at our new addresses and phone numbers listed above.

We thank you for your trust and loyalty. As always, we will continue to be here to take care of you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Albert Raizner,
Dr. Michael Raizner,
Dr. Mohamed El-Beheary