A Comparative Study of Biofeedback and Progressive Relaxation in Anxious Patients

Abstract

Two studies comparing electromyographic (EMG) levels and anxiety-symptom reduction with diverse relaxation training procedures were run by nurses. Both inpatients and outpatients suffering from anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to the groups after completing an interview and an anxiety-symptom checklist. Continuous frontalis EMG levels were monitored on all subjects with auditory feedback for one group while a modified Jacob-son's progressie muscle relaxation was used on the other. Each procedure was taught in ten sessions in the first study. In the second study, two additional sessions were added as was a control group. The same EMG feedback procedure was used after a two-session acclimation tot he room baseline period while the progressive muscular procedure was shortened to two sessions then combined with continuous auditory feedback for the remaining sessions. Twenty-three subjects completed study one, revealing no significant differences between the groups on EMG reductions. However significant within-group differences were found for the biofeedback group. In the second study, comprised of 65 patients, similar findings were found in the between-group changes. However, statistically significant differences were found between the fifth and tenth sessions for all three groups. The low-anxiety biofeedback group exhibited significant EMG differences at the fifth and tenth sessions. Neither study produced significant symptom changes.