Effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the objective symptoms and subjective responses associated with asthma.

Our findings suggest that PMR can increase an asthmatic's ability to cope with asthma, by enabling him or her to exert greater control over the symptoms associated with the disease. Findings of this study also offer insight into patient responses and give direction to the approaches needed in the individual treatment and education of asthmatics. Findings of this study also suggest that proper patient selection may be of importance when using self-management or behavior modification techniques in asthma. Maximum profit from future use of PMR in the behavioral treatment of asthma might be achieved by identifying patients who are characterized as moderate or high in panic-fear. They will receive the greatest benefit from this treatment modality.