Registration for participating in this study is now closed.
This research study explores two different muscle relaxation techniques: Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR).
To download a flyer for the study, click here.
About the research study:
Purpose: This is a quantitative, randomized controlled study of two muscle relaxation interventions and how they might be used to treat co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and non-specific chronic low-back pain (nsCLBP).
The Problem: Evidence suggests that somewhere between 16% and 25% of people who have PTSD also have nsCLBP, and vice versa. Current treatment focuses on relieving the separate symptoms of each one. Very little is known about how the two conditions interact or how to treat them at the same time. Both conditions have been connected to chronic muscle tension. People with both may receive benefits from releasing muscle tension.
Parts of the Study: People who take part in this study will not be able to choose which type of muscle relaxation they will be trained in.
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Complete an online Pre-Study Informed Consent Form
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Complete two short screening surveys (10 minutes)
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Complete an online enrollment process that takes about 5 minutes
- Fill out a Study Informed Consent Form (paper)
- Complete a Healthcare Accessibility Statement (online or paper)
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Be placed in one of the two groups
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Attend a 1-day, 5.25-hour training in either PMR or TRE
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Fill out an online assessment, which takes about 10 minutes
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After the training, fill out another online assessment
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Practice the technique (TRE or PMR) on their own three times a week for four weeks
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At the end of the four weeks, fill out an online assessment that takes about 10 minutes
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Fill out one final online assessment four weeks after the end of the self-practice
Impact: Both TRE and PMR are self-help techniques. Both have few or no costs or side effects. If one or both of these techniques proves to be useful in treating PTSD and nsCLBP, then the benefit to people with those conditions could be very important. These people might have relief from symptoms without taking medications, going to appointments, or paying copays or fees.
Oversight: The proposal for this study was reviewed by Saybrook University Institutional Review Board, at Saybrook University, 475 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612.
Primary Researcher: Beverly Swann, MA, LMFT, PhD Student at Saybrook University, 925-705-7036, bswann@saybrook.edu
Credentials for Primary Researcher:
- Masters in Counseling Psychology, with a specialization in Somatic Psychology, from John F. Kennedy University (2007)
- Doctorate in Mind-Body Medicine, with a specialization in Integrative Mental Health, from Saybrook University (2019)
- Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) facilitator and provider (2016)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California for seven years
Financial Interest Disclosure: Financial Interest Disclosure Statement – Beverly Swann discloses that the results of this study may have some impact on her business in the future, and she lists the ways she has attempted to reduce bias in the study surrounding that financial interest.