Effect of treating neurasthenia with relaxation training and biofeedback therapy

Relaxation training is a kinds of method of psychosomatic selftraining which is prevalent is some western countries. It is similar to Qigong of China. Biofeedback is a new psychotherapy which develops faster with modern electronic technique. Using Qigong and biofeedback skills, we have studied the curative effect and the mechanism of some diseases with circulation, Digestion and nerve systems. Based on these studies, the patients with neurasthenia where further observed and analyzed by suing relaxation training-biofeedback therapy.

This group included 32 patients with Neurasthenia. Before acceptance into the study the patients were diagnosed by psychiatrist or neuropathist as Neurasthenia. During every time Of the treatment the patient lay on abed and listened to the standardized relaxation training programme guide'. The electromusculation Volume of patients(EMV) was recorded by Model JD-I electromusculation biofeedback apparatus. The EMV was considered the relaxation ability. The self-learning experience of the patient was taken as the relaxation-calm index(RCI). Taking the Neurasthenia scale the pre-treatment effect was compared with the post-treatment effect. Each treatment time lasted 30 minutes. Each course consisted of 6.times.

Result: The total efficiency of the therapy war 90.6% in the 32 patients. The prominent efficiency was 62.74% according to the scores from the Neurasthenia scaler(That the total scores Of the prominent effect). The total scores of the pre- and posttreatment were 29.41 13.03 and 8.53 5.65 respectively. The selected item frequencies of pre- and post-treatment were 11.26 3.75 and 4.74 2.84 respectively. The item intensities of prey and post-treatment were 2.54 0.49 and 1.79 0.59. The results indicated that the score of the every item war lower in the finish of the treatment than in the start of the treatment. The effect difference between pre- and post-treatment was statically very significant (p<0.01). The total relaxation-calm index by self-appraisal of the patients was 2.03 0.84. The EMV of pre and post-treatment were 7.01 and 3.11uv and 3.93 and 0.3uv, respectively. The EMV differences between the pre and the post- also was statistically very significant (p<0.01). To further analyze the results we divided the scale into five specific sub-scales:mental and recognitive, sleep, emotion, autonomic nerves and viscera system. The statistical data of the sub-scales ware given-on the Table. The table result showed that every subscale score was lower in post- than pre-treatment in various degrees. The differences between post- and pre-treatment are Significant in 08t scores of the subscale. Moreover the results suggested that symptom improvement of the visceral system not be obvious. The symptoms of most patients started to be improved or alleviated after 2-3 courses of the treatment in the near future. The far future effect should be further investigated.

Using the therapy combining relaxation training with biofeedback we have observed 32 patients with Neurasthenia. The results show that the curative efficiency war 90.6% and the prominent efficiency was 62.74%. So we consider that the therapy can be taken as a counter-measure preventing and curing Neurasthenia. Relaxation training is a kind of method of self psychosomatic skills. With the therapy all body muscles of the patient are gradually relaxed to produce physiological relaxation response and subjective calm-ease experience by meditation, attentional training and controlled breathing and so on. The skills are very similar to the steps of regulation breathing regulating movement of body and regulation mentality of Chinese Qigong. Based on the skills the psychophysiological effects occur, effects which include relaxation of muscles, elimination of stress, anti-anxiety, utilization and exercise of attention, stabilization of emotion, also to reduce tensibility of susceptible nervous system and improve blood circulation of brain and periphery. In the end of the treatment the continuous stress and the negative emotion could be removed, and the excitation and inhibition of the nerve course of the patients gradually could recover from the imbalance.