FAST FACTS: Non-Drug Treatment: Relaxation

Relaxation is being free from anxiety and muscle tension.

Benefits of Relaxation:

• Relives pain by:
  • Loosening tense muscles
  • Distracting individual from pain and symptoms
  • Decreasing stress
  • Helping to code

Relaxation Techniques:

• Deep breathing
• Listening to music
• Thinking of peaceful images
• Repeating the same word or phrase over and over
• Meditation

What else can the caregiver do?

• Write down and share information about your family member’s pain with their healthcare provider
• Use a Pain Diary to note important information useful to your family member’s healthcare provider
• Encourage your family member to try this and/or another non-drug treatment and document the impact on their pain in their Pain Diary

Reference:

1. Adapted from: Fouladbakhsh, J.M., et al., Nondrug therapies for pain management among rural older adults. Pain Manag Nurs, 2011. 12(2): p. 70-81. 2. The Nursing Home Pain Management Algorithm Clinical Trial, R01 NR009100, 7/1/05 – 4/30/10; Mary Ersek (PI) Used with permission of Mary Ersek and HPNA (2009). 
2. WedMD. October 13, 2020. Stress Relaxation and Natural Pain Relief. Accessed 2.21.2022. https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/stress-relief-for-pain