Ways to Reduce Stress Before an Imaging Procedure

No one wants to get an imaging procedure such as an MRI or CT Scan. So when a patient goes to the doctor and finds out that they have to have one, they most likely will have immediate anxiety about the idea.

So what can the patient do to relax themselves beforehand? We’ve wrangled together some proven ways to reduce stress. (These work wonders on other stressful areas of life as well!):

- Autogenic relaxation: Autogenic training teaches your body to respond to verbal commands which “tell” your body to relax and control breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and body temperature. Autogenic training takes practice to perfect the technique, and consists of six standard exercises while you use visual imagery and verbal cues to relax your body and feel warm and heavy. You can read more about the technique here.

- Progressive muscle relaxation: There are two steps to Progressive Muscle Relaxation. The first tells you to systematically tense certain muscle groups such as your neck and shoulders. In the second, you release the tension and notice how you muscles feel when you relax them. The idea is to be able to recognize when you are feeling anxious and tense in order to subdue the feelings. This process also takes practice and it is recommended to practice 15 minutes twice a day for a week or two to get the hang of it. You can read more about the technique here.

- Creative Visualization: With creative visualization you use your imagination to make whatever you want happen. You heard me right! Even getting rid of anxiety. When you imagine what you want, or what calm state you wish to be in, you can make it happen with the right techniques. Read about it here.

- Meditation: One of the most common ways to reduce stress is meditation. But how exactly to clear your mind in order to do it correctly? There are many different ways to begin meditating, but some of the best ways are to start small (2 minutes perhaps) and to come back when your mind wanders. You can read all of the best beginner techniques here.

- Massage: If this doesn’t put you at ease for 30 minutes to an hour, nothing will. Schedule one and feel the benefits.

- Tai Chi or Yoga: Tai chi is called meditation through motion, and uses gentle and flowing movements to reduce stress. Read about it here. Yoga is a well known stress buster, and you can find some beginner poses here.

Hopefully these techniques will help you not only with your MRI scan, but with any stress and anxiety you may encounter in your life. Are there any other techniques that you use to fight stress? Have you tried any of the ones above? Let us know!

ClermontRadiology.com