Functional relaxation as a somatopsychotherapeutic intervention: a prospective controlled study

Abstract

Context: Functional relaxation is based on concentration on body perception while moving the joints of the skeleton smoothly and simultaneously breathing out. Case reports have shown that patients with headaches can profit from functional relaxation.

Objective: To examine whether patients with chronic tension headaches (International Headache Society diagnosis) who use functional relaxation as a complementary treatment will report less pain than before they learned this technique.

Design: Randomized, prospective, single-blind, controlled trial. Standardized elements of functional relaxation were compared to a placebo-relaxation technique, a simple isotomic exercise of the hand.

Setting: Primary care, ambulatory private practice.

Participants: Twelve matched pairs were chosen according to age, sex, and initial pain intensity. This poststratification was performed on patients, who kept a complete pain diary covering 60 days before and 60 days after the introduction to the therapy. After a 45-minute introduction in small groups, the patients were told to do the exercises as often as possible for the following 2 months.

Main outcome measures: Pain diary.

Results: In the functional-relaxation group, a significant reduction was found in the sum of total pain hours and in high- and medium-intensive pain (Wilcoxon signed rank test).

Conclusions: This study supports the concept that this psychosomatic therapy can bring relief from tension headaches. This procedure can be viewed as an easy-to-learn relaxation technique to be used either prophylactic or complementary to pharmaceutical treatment.