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Volume 59, Issue 6, Pages 393-398 (December 2005)


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Effect of progressive muscle relaxation in adolescent female bronchial asthma patients: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study

Cerstin Nickelaemail address, Christian Kettlera, Moritz Muehlbacherc, Claas Lahmannb, Karin Trittb, Rainhold Fartacekc, Egon Bachlera, Nadine Rothera, Christoph Eggerc, Wolfhardt K. Rothera, Thomas H. Loewb, Marius K. NickelabcCorresponding Author Information

Received 1 December 2004; received in revised form 5 April 2005; accepted 5 April 2005.

Abstract 

Objective

The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on change in blood pressure, lung parameters and heart rate in female adolescent asthmatics.

Method

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, adolescent female asthmatics (n=31) were tested to find out how the systolic blood pressure (SBP), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and heart rate change after PMR. The control group (CG; n=30) received a placebo intervention.

Results

A significant reduction in SBP and a significant increase in the FEV1 and PEF were observed after PMR. The heart rate showed a significant increase in the coefficient of variation (CV), root-mean-square of successive differences (RMSSD) and at the high frequency (HF) range, in addition to a significant reduction at the low and middle frequency (LF and MF, respectively) ranges.

Conclusion

PMR appears to be effective in improvement of blood pressure, lung parameter and heart rate in adolescent female asthmatics.

a Clinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Inntalklinik, Simbach am Inn, Germany

b Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Clinic, Regensburg, Germany

c University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Inntalklinik, 84359 Simbach am Inn, Germany. Tel.: +49 8571 985302; fax: +49 8571 985303.

PII: S0022-3999(05)00097-8

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.04.008


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