Physiologic responses of clients with essential hypertension to progressive muscle relaxation training.

The effects of progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure of hypertensive clients were examined. After collection of baseline data, 22 clients received group relaxation training followed by individual monitoring sessions over a 6-week period. The 22 persons in the control group did not receive relaxation training. The group instructed in relaxation had a lower mean systolic blood pressure than the nontrained group at 4-month follow-up. While the relaxation-trained group showed a significant decrease in diastolic pressure from baseline to follow-up, the difference between trained and non-trained groups at follow-up was not significant. Relaxation, taught initially in group with individual follow-up visits, resulted in continued practice of relaxation and subsequent lowering of blood pressure in subjects with essential, uncomplicated hypertension.