Pain is a universal experience. We’ve all felt it before, and while most try to avoid it, some might look forward to experiencing it again. A privileged few choose to deal with their aches and pains by turning to float therapy, an alternative method of dealing with muscle and joint ailments.
Float therapy provides a healing environment where your body can relax and heal itself. Float therapy is a stress reduction form involving flotation in a pool filled with water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt. The water is heated to skin temperature, making it feel like you are floating in the Dead Sea. The soothing effect on the body comes from the buoyancy of the water and the ability to relax while floating. When your body floats in this environment, it goes into a state of relaxation that allows your muscles to loosen up and reduce stress on your joints and bones. As a result, many people find that they experience pain relief after just one session of float therapy!
The combination of warmth, weightlessness, and silence may help those suffering from depression or anxiety and physical ailments like arthritis or fibromyalgia.
Ways Float Therapy Can Relieve Pain
Pain is never fun, but it’s often a part of life. Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, whether an injury or the aches and pains of getting older. Those who have tried floating report several benefits, including pain reduction and stress relief. Here are seven ways it relieves pain.
Reduces tenderness, strain & stiffness in the musculoskeletal framework
The body comprises a series of levers and pulleys that allow it to carry out its functions. When there is tension in one of these pulleys, it can affect the others and cause pain. Float therapy helps to relax these muscles and reduces the amount of stress that they are under. This allows them to return to their normal state more quickly, which can help reduce pain and muscle tension.
Relief from Stress-Related Pain
Stress is a significant cause of pain, but float therapy can help relieve stress-related pain. The benefits of floatation are so powerful that it has been used in therapeutic treatments for chronic pain and PTSD.
You’ll be floating in a shallow pool filled with body temperature water (around 88 degrees F) and mineral salts. The water creates an environment similar to our bodies’ natural buoyancy when we’re immersed in our native amniotic fluid. This helps reduce muscle tension and increase mental clarity, allowing you to relax from head to toe—even your toes!
Relief for Muscle Tension
The muscle tension relief from floating is evidence of the float tank’s ability to help you relax. It can also be a great way to unwind after a workout or even just the stressors of your day-to-day life. The deep muscle relaxation and feeling of weightlessness will leave you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
Relief from Migraines and Chronic Headaches
The most common type of pain people experience is headaches. According to the American Headache Society, about three-quarters of all people in the United States will experience at least one headache per month. That’s a lot of headaches!
Tension in your head, neck, and shoulders can trigger tension in your back and neck, leading to chronic pain or migraine. Float therapy helps relieve stress, a significant cause of chronic headaches and migraines.
Reduce chronic fatigue
Most people suffering from chronic fatigue are looking for ways to reduce their symptoms and return to their daily lives. Studies have shown that float therapy is an effective way to do this.
Once you’ve experienced the effects of floating, you’ll understand how it can help with chronic fatigue.
You’ll notice that within an hour after your session in the tank, many people experience a reduction in pain levels and an increase in energy levels. These benefits last anywhere from 6-8 hours, depending on how much time they spent in the tank (the longer they stay, the more pronounced these effects are).
Relief from Arthritic and other Chronic Pain
If you’re living with arthritic or other chronic pain conditions, floating therapy could be an excellent option. Floating has been shown to help reduce inflammation, stress, anxiety, and depression, which are significant contributors to chronic pain conditions. The benefits of floating therapy are also well documented in treating insomnia and high blood pressure.
What do you do after float therapy?
When you’re finished floating, taking care of your body is essential. If you are feeling pain or discomfort after leaving the float pod, don’t worry. You’ll be fine. It’s normal for your body to feel stiff at first because of how long you were in the water.
If you feel any lingering discomfort, try drinking tea or eating a snack when you get home from your float session, and then stretch out with some yoga poses. Walking up and down stairs can also help loosen up tight muscles by stimulating circulation throughout the entire body before going about any other activity (like sitting down for work).
The effects of flotation therapy can last anywhere between one day and six months, depending on how often you use it—but if all goes well, they should last much longer!
What happens if you shave before a float?
Let’s say you’re a woman who wants to shave her legs before her float. That’s fine! However, it’s essential to know that shaving can lead to serious cuts, irritation, bumps, ingrown hairs, and even razor burn or rash. If you’re lucky enough to go into a float center and get some advice from the staff, they’d probably tell you that shaving is not recommended before a session. In fact: it’s strongly discouraged—and for a good reason.
Do they change the water in float tanks?
The water in a float tank is changed every 3-5 days, filtered, cleaned, and re-circulated through a system of pipes. The water is always fresh, clean, and pristine when you get in for your float session.
Conclusion
Float therapy has been proven to help relieve pain, stress, and inflammation, and it also can improve a person’s mood and promote better sleep patterns. So if you suffer from chronic pain, give float therapy a test float or make an appointment with us; it might just be the prescription you need.