Music Relaxation Research Articles

Control of genital herpes recurrences using progressive muscle relaxation

The efficacy of Progressive Music Relaxation Training in controlling severe, recurrent genital herpes was investigated using a multiple baseline across subjects design. After a minimum of three months of daily baseline recordings of the presence of a herpes sore, subjects were individually trained in standard progressive muscle relaxation and were instructed to use the skill whenever they felt stressed. Subjects kept data for a minimum of three months after training. T-tests conducted on individual data revealed that five of the eight subjects evidenced a significant decrease in recurrence frequency. these findings are congruent with previous uncontrolled research on the effectiveness of stress reduction strategies in controlling herpes outbreaks.