Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of group relaxation training and thermal biofeedback on blood pressure and related physiological and psychological variables in essential hypertension

  • Published:
Biofeedback and Self-regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One hundred and one patients, 70 experimental and 31 controls, with a diagnosis of essential hypertension, were examined for the effects of group relaxation training and thermal biofeedback on blood pressure and on other psychophysiologic measures: heart rate, forehead muscle tension, finger temperature, depression, anxiety, plasma aldosterone, plasma renin activity, and plasma and urinary cortisol. Eighty percent of the participants were medicated. Treatment yielded a short-term success rate, defined as a decrease in mean arterial pressure of 5 mm Hg, of 49% in the experimental group. Other significant short-term changes included a reduction of forehead muscle tension, state anxiety, plasma aldosterone, and increased finger temperature. Follow-up measurements were made approximately 10 months after treatment in 36 patients, 51% of the treatment completers. Twenty of the 36 were short-term treatment failures, while 16 were treatment succeeders. Thirty-seven percent of the short-term succeeders continued to meet blood pressure criterion at follow-up. In short-term succeeders, continued practice of relaxation may influence long-term maintenance of decreased blood pressure. It is suggested that group relaxation training can be beneficial for short-term and long-term adjunctive treatment of essential hypertension in selected individuals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agras, W. S., Taylor, C. B., Kraemer, H. C., Southam, M. A., & Schneider, J. A. (1987). Relaxation training for essential hypertension at the worksite: II. The poorly controlled hypertensive.Psychosomatic Medicine, 49(3), 264–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., & Erbaugh, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression.Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, D. A., & Borkovec, T. C. (1983). Progressive relaxation training. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, E. B., Khramelashvili, V. V., McCoy, G. C., Aivazyan, T. A., McCaffrey, R. J., Salenko, B. B., Musso, A., Wittrock, D. A., Berger, M., Gerardi, M. A., & Pangburn, L. (1988). The USA-USSR collaborative cross-cultural comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback in the treatment of mild hypertension.Health Psychology, 7, 175–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, E. B., McCoy, G. C., Musso, A., Gerardi, M. A., Pallmeyer, T. P., Gerardi, R. J., Cotch, P. A., Siracusa, K., & Andrasik, F. (1986). A controlled comparison of thermal biofeedback and relaxation training in the treatment of essential hypertension: I. Short term and long term outcome.Behavior Therapy, 17, 563–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chesney, M. A., Black, G. W., Swan, G. E., & Ward, M. M. (1987). Relaxation training for essential hypertension at the worksite: I. The untreated mild hypertensive.Psychosomatic Medicine, 9(3), 250–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahrion, S., Norris, P., Green, A., Green, E., & Snarr, C. (1986). Biobehavioral treatment of essential hypertension: A group outcome study.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 11, 257–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasgow, M. S., Engel, B. T., & D'Lugoff, B. C. (1989). A controlled study of a standardized behavioral stepped treatment for hypertension.Psychosomatic Medicine, 51, 10–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, E. E., Green, A. M., & Norris, P. A. (1980). Self-regulation training for control of hypertension.Primary Cardiology, 6, 126–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacob, R. G., Chesney, M. A., Williams, D. M., Ding, Y., & Shapiro, A. P. (1991). Relaxation therapy for hypertension: Design effects and treatment effects.Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 13(1), 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Julius, S. (1991). Autonomic nervous system dysregulation in human hypertension.American Journal of Cardiology, 67, 3B–7B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurek, I. E., Higgins, J. T., Jr., & McGrady, A. (1992). Interaction of biofeedback-assisted relaxation and diuretic in the treatment of essential hypertension.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 17(2), 125–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, G. C., Blanchard, E. B., Wittrock, D. A., Morrison, S., Pangburn, L., Siracusa, K., & Pallmeyer, T. P. (1988). Biochemical changes associated with thermal biofeedback treatment of hypertension.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 13(2), 139–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrady, A., & Higgins, J. T., Jr. (1990). Effect of repeated measurements of blood pressure on blood pressure in essential hypertension: Role of anxiety.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 13, 93–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrady, A., Nadsady, P. A., & Schumann-Brzezinski, C. (1991). Sustained effects of biofeedback-assisted relaxation therapy in essential hypertension.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 16(4), 399–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrady, A. V., Yonker, R., Tan, S. Y., Fine, T. H., & Woerner, M. (1981). The effect of biofeedback-assisted relaxation training on blood pressure and selected biochemical parameters in patients with essential hypertension.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 6(3), 343–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patel, C., Marmot, M. G., & Terry, D. J. (1981). Controlled trial of biofeedback-aided behavioural methods in reducing mild hypertension.British Medical Journal, 282, 2005–2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970).STAI manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steptoe, A., Patel, C., Marmot, M., & Hunt, B. (1987). Frequency of relaxation practice, blood pressure reduction and the general effects of relaxation following a controlled trial of behaviour modification for reducing coronary risk.Stress Medicine, 3, 101–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vander, A. J., Sherman, J. H., & Luciano, D. S. (1990).Human physiology (5th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittrock, D. A., Blanchard, E. B., & McCoy, G. C. (1988). Three studies on the relation of process to outcome in the treatment of essential hypertension with relaxation and thermal biofeedback.Behavioral Research Therapy, 26, 53–66.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Medical College of Ohio, P.O. Box 10008, 43699-0008, Toledo, Ohio, USA

    Angele McGrady

Authors
  1. Angele McGrady
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

I greatly appreciate the assistance of Minda Sogocio, Judy Stewart, and Kay Gerstenmaier from the Toledo Health Department, and Ilona Jurek, Carrie Wakai, and Robert Spain from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. This research was supported by a grant to A. McGrady through the Hypertension Control Program of the City of Toledo Health Department, from the Ohio Department of Health.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McGrady, A. Effects of group relaxation training and thermal biofeedback on blood pressure and related physiological and psychological variables in essential hypertension. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation 19, 51–66 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01720670

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01720670

Keywords

Search

Navigation