Community Mental Health Nursing (RCMN)
RELAXATION THERAPY TO A CLIENT IN THE COMMUNITY
This is a therapy the RCPN uses to help client experiencing psychological stress. It may involve tensing and relaxing muscles throughout the body. The therapist assists the client to focus the mind on positive self and global images through meditations.
Purpose
- Help decrease the physical and psychological effects of stress on the client
- Relaxes client to cope better
- Prevent relapse/complications
- Reduce muscle tension, stress, blood pressure and control pain
Indications
- Providing relaxation therapy to a client experiencing psychological stress in the community.
- Decreasing the physical and psychological effects of stress on the client.
- Reducing muscle tension, stress, blood pressure and controlling pain.
Equipment
- Serene environment
- Quiet and dim room
- Clean floor
- Bed/mat
- Arm chair
- Source of relaxed music at low volume
- Means of Transportation
Preparation
- Ensure a serene environment with a quiet and dim room.
- Arrange a clean floor, bed or mat, an arm chair and a source of relaxed music at low volume.
Procedure steps
- Establish rapport (refer to procedure) and explain procedure to client
- Inform client about the therapy session, time, venue and goals
- Inform client about the various positions (e.g. lying or sitting) suitable for the therapy
- Guide the client to select the desired position for the therapy
- Organize the setting for the therapy following client's choice of position
- Background of the setting must have characterized by a relaxed, soft or slow music
- Ensure client assumes the chosen position and start the session
- Ask client to breath in deeply, slowly then breath out and relax the eyes
- Ask client to close eyes tightly and relax them
- Ask client to first relax jaw and mouth then hold mouth tightly together, cling teeth and relax jaw afterwards
- Ask client to hang the shoulders up and down and relax
- Ask client to relax arms and then hold arms out
- Ask client to make a fist of the hand and slowly relax the arms
- Ask client to breath in deeply and breath out
- Ask client to relax the legs and feet
- Ask client to hold legs out in front of you and slowly relax the feet down
- Communicate areas of progress and where client needs improvement
- Allow client to express likes and or dislikes of the session and therapist
- Document the procedure and inform the client, date and time of the next session
- Congratulate client for successfully completing the session and close the session
Precautions
- Establish rapport and explain the procedure to the client.
- Inform the client about the various positions, such as lying or sitting, suitable for the therapy.
- Organize the setting for the therapy following the client's choice of position.
- Guide the client through each relaxation step slowly and calmly.
Aftercare
- Communicate areas of progress and where the client needs improvement.
- Document the procedure and inform the client of the next session date and time.
- Congratulate the client for successfully completing the session and close the session.
Nursing considerations
- Ask the client to select the desired position for the therapy and assume the chosen position.
- Ensure the background of the setting is characterised by relaxed, soft or slow music.
- Allow the client to express likes or dislikes of the session and therapist.
Patient education
- Guide the client to breathe in deeply, slowly, then breathe out and relax the eyes.
- Guide the client to relax the jaw, mouth, shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet step by step.
Documentation
- Document the procedure and inform the client of the date and time of the next session.
References and further reading
Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.
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