"63 • Pain. Some studies have shown that relaxation techniques may help reduce abdominal and surgery pain. The results of research on relaxation to promote overall health or well - being or t o treat other health conditions have been mixed or unclear. These conditions include: • High blood pressure: A 2008 review of evidence for relaxation in the treatment of high blood pressure found some evidence that progressive muscle relaxation lowered bloo d pressure a small amount. However, the review found no evidence that this effect was enough to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, or other health issues due to high blood pressure. In a recent randomized controlled trial, 8 weeks of relaxation resp onse/stress management was shown to reduce systolic blood pressure in hypertensive older adults, and some patients were able to reduce hypertension medication without an increase in blood pressure. • Asthma: Several reviews of the literature have suggested that relaxation techniques, including guided imagery, may temporarily help improve lung function and quality of life and relieve anxiety in people with asthma. A more recent randomized clinical trial of asthma found that relaxation techniques may help impr ove immune function. More studies are needed to confirm this finding. • Nausea: Relaxation techniques may help relieve nausea caused by chemotherapy. Fibromyalgia. Although some preliminary studies report that using relaxation or guided imagery techniques m ay sometimes improve pain and reduce fatigue from fibromyalgia, more research is needed. Irritable bowel syndrome. Some studies have indicated that relaxation techniques may prevent or relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some participants . One review of the research found some evidence that self - hypnosis may be useful in the treatment of IBS. • Heart disease and heart symptoms: Researchers have looked at relaxation techniques for the treatment of angina and the prevention of heart disease. W hen a cardiac rehabilitation program was combined with relaxation response training in a clinic, participants experienced significant reductions in blood pressure, decreases in lipid levels, and increases in psychological functioning when compared to parti cipants’ status before the program. Although studies have shown that relaxation techniques combined with other lifestyle changes and standard medical care may reduce the risk of recurrent heart attack, more study is needed. Insomnia: There is some evidence that relaxation techniques can help in treating chronic insomnia. Researchers have found some evidence on the effectiveness of relaxation techniques for: • Temporomandibular disorder: (pain and loss of motion in the jaw joints). A review of the literature found that relaxation techniques and biofeedback were more effective than placebo in decreasing pain and increasing jaw function."