Loading
Progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises and guided imagery are simple techniques that reduce anxiety and treatment-related distress during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Guidelines say they may be offered, and audio versions cost nothing.
Relaxation techniques (progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, autogenic training) and guided imagery have been tested in dozens of small randomised trials in people receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with consistent reductions in anxiety, anticipatory nausea and treatment-related distress, and some improvement in sleep and pain. The 2023 SIO-ASCO anxiety and depression guideline says relaxation may be offered for anxiety during treatment, and the 2022 pain guideline lists guided imagery with progressive muscle relaxation as an option for general cancer pain. Effect sizes are small to moderate, trials are unblinded and many are decades old. The techniques are freely available as recordings and integrate easily into chemotherapy suites.
Deliberate muscle release and slow breathing engage the parasympathetic system and interrupt anticipatory anxiety; imagery redirects attention away from threat.
Six technology pages on OnCo cite this paper by its DOI; this record gives the citation a page of its own so a reader can follow it without leaving OnCo. Read the abstract above alongside the citing pages listed under Related; the record was created automatically from the Europe PMC entry and its figures have not been checked by hand.
Eight technology pages on OnCo cite this paper by its DOI; this record gives the citation a page of its own so a reader can follow it without leaving OnCo. Read the abstract above alongside the citing pages listed under Related; the record was created automatically from the Europe PMC entry and its figures have not been checked by hand.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Relaxation training and guided imagery" OR ABSTRACT:"Relaxation training and guided imagery") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Relaxation training and guided imagery, not a curated reading list.
Shares Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Psycho-oncology and distress screening, Quality of life and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Treating fear of recurrence: the randomised trials, their effect sizes, and where the treatment is available, Anxiety after cancer, in survivors and in their partners, Evidence-based integrative oncology and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Psycho-oncology and distress screening, Quality of life and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Psycho-oncology and distress screening, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Treating fear of recurrence: the randomised trials, their effect sizes, and where the treatment is available, Anxiety after cancer, in survivors and in their partners, Evidence-based integrative oncology and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.