Flotation therapy might make you think of stress relief and relaxation, but these are not the only ways floating can improve your quality of life. Flotation therapy is a powerful treatment that can be beneficial for many people, from athletes to folks living with chronic pain.
Do you live with chronic pain?
Floating can be a valuable part of your pain management plan if you live with chronic pain. Floating has been shown to help relieve pain associated with a host of chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines, back pain, athletic injuries, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In light of the opioid epidemic our country is currently experiencing, people may be seeking treatments for their pain that don’t include prescription painkillers. Flotation therapy is a valuable natural pain relief treatment.
Flotation therapy helps to ease chronic pain in two ways: mental and physical.
A flotation tank provides a weightless environment, which takes stress off of joints. In fact, when you’re floating, you experience a zero gravity effect that allows your body to become properly aligned. Time spent floating allows your muscles to relax fully, as they are not needed to support you while you’re in the tank. Removing the tension from muscles can have a marked effect on pain levels. When you’re in a deep state of relaxation, as you are in a flotation session, your body has time to get to work healing itself.
There are theories that inflammation is one of the causes of chronic pain. The Epsom Salts (aka Magnesium Sulfate) used in the tank are naturally anti-inflammatory. Not only do the Epsom Salts help ease inflammation in the body, they can provide magnesium, an essential mineral for the human body, for people with a magnesium deficiency.
Don’t just take our word for it – science supports floating, too! Researchers Thomas H. Fine, and Roderick A Borrie, Ph.D., found that, for chronic pain patients “By reducing both muscle tension and pain in a relatively short time and without effort on the part of the patient, flotation provides a dramatic demonstration of the benefits of relaxation. Relief is immediate and, although temporary, offers promise of further relief from REST and other relaxation-based strategies.”
In addition to the physical benefits, floating also provides a release of endorphins in your brain. Endorphins are “feel good” chemicals that your brain releases which act as natural pain relievers. The combination of the muscle relaxing properties of floating and the mood-boosting benefits often lead to a significant reduction in pain for floaters.
Chronic pain can be as challenging to deal with mentally as it is physically. Constant pain can lead to bouts of depression and anxiety, in addition to the other effects of the conditions themselves. It can be unbelievably stressful to live in a persistent state of pain.
The deep relaxation provided by flotation therapy can aid in reducing mental as well as physical stress. There is a complete lack of stimuli in a flotation tank. This takes the pressure off of your brain to find outside threats. Without the fight-or-flight response activated, your body and mind can fully relax, easing your pain.
Floating doesn’t just provide pain relief while you’re in the tank. The benefits of flotation therapy can last anywhere from hours to days after your floating session. The endorphins released during a flotation session can last far longer than the treatment itself, leaving you with an improved mood and reduced pain. There is also evidence that floating has cumulative pain relief effects, so taking the time to float regularly may be the most helpful in terms of treating chronic pain.