Benefits From Floating
Whether you're using floatation therapy as a tool for meditation, creativity or rest & recovery, there are a wide-range of benefits that are difficult to get anywhere else. Find out how members of our community are using the float tank and the benefits they've experienced!
Relaxation Response
The tank suppresses the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system which when active produces our ‘fight or flight’ response. And it then activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for relaxation, healing, replenishment, etc. Some physical symptoms of the relaxation response are decreased muscle tension, decreased blood pressure, decreased stress hormones, and increased endorphins.
+ Heightened senses
Research indicates increased visual acuity, improved tactile perception, improved auditory sensitivity, and increased taste sensitivities after floating.
+ Pain Management
Arthritis, back pain, neck pain, tendinitis, bursitis, inflammation, and psychosomatic pain relief have all been documented via tank use.
+ Increased immune function
Immune function is enhanced by suppressing stress hormones which not only weaken the immune system but also suppress the digestion and reproductive systems, affect regeneration processes, and decrease insulin sensitivity.
+ Enhanced healing / rejuvenation / recovery
Floating increases circulation to extremities, promotes greater elimination of metabolic by products, decreases the forces of gravity to help promote greater muscular relaxation, and it can prevent adrenal fatigue.
+ Musculoskeletal Awareness
Floating decreases chronic muscle tension and creates greater awareness of less noticeable areas of muscle tension and imbalances.
Although floating is not zero-gravity (like outer space), the density of the Epsom Salt solution does create the maximal amount of the forces of gravity to be dispersed across the greatest surface area of the body. Rigid postures and chronic muscular tension from daily life can cause ailments such as lower-back pain, neck pain, shallow breathing, high blood pressure, etc. The anti-gravity environment of the float tank disperses forces to the smallest amount and thus decreases the source of gravity-related stimulation to the minimum possible value providing relief to these specific areas.
+ Increased Stress Resistance
Regular floating can alter the set-points in the endocrine homeostatic mechanism which can cause adjustments such as a lower adrenal activation threshold. This means that we become more resistant to the stimuli of chronic stressors bombarding us in modern urban settings and modern lifestyles and literally we have a physiological higher threshold. The modern urban life-style won’t affect our stress response as much.
+ Meditation
Meditation has a plethora of researched benefits and floating is a unique and phenomenal tool to cultivate mental stillness. It often generates a sensation of being intensely awake yet extremely relaxed; presence. It can induce theta-state brainwaves and allows for one to remain conscious in this frequency instead of falling asleep. Floating may induce an altered state of consciousness.
+ Chronic Stressor Relief
The tanks environment eliminates as much external input as possible. It lets your nervous system have a break. In a city with a constant buzz or hum, our systems rarely experience (if ever) the isolation and silence that the tank’s environment provides. Having this experience can be very refreshing, nourishing and healthy for our bodies and minds. We are well adapted for acute stress, however, for chronic stressors such as noise and air pollution; business, social, and family pressures; war; unemployment; street crime fear; general antagonism between the sexes; we are not well adapted and have been cited to be a cause of several forms of disease.
+ Deautomatization
The mental “reset”. Patterns exist throughout our lives. Going throughout our daily routines we get “numb” to so much around us, we become automatic with so many of our thoughts, our actions, our environments. The “resetting” experience provided by the tank can shift us out of this automated existence and bring us into greater awareness of the things we are often over-looking, less aware of or insensitive to, and not appreciating.
+ Behaviour Modification
Floating is a great way to bring greater awareness to various patterns of behavior. Floating has shown to have beneficial effects such as decreased anxiety and depression; increased calmness or sense of well-being; it has shown fantastic results towards anti-smoking assistance as well as positive effects on weight-loss programs.
+ Brain Synchronization
After settling into the floating experience research has shown greater hemisphere synchronization (promoting greater communication between the right (creative-side) and left (analytical-side) lobes; the majority of people are left-dominated. Also, people experience increased vertical communication between the primitive reptilian brain, the limbic middle or mammalian brain and the conscious neocortex. These synchronizing reactions can cause elevated states of creativity, greater non-linear connections, and deeper realizations.
+ Introspection
With literally zero outward distractions your attention is easily redirected inward. Habitual thought-pattern recognition and analysis can be clearly discovered, monitored, and addressed. Various forms of mental programming/reprogramming become very powerful tools to re-evaluate and change your thoughts with clarity and repetition.
+ Visualization
The combination of being extremely relaxed while intensely awake allows techniques of visualization to become very powerful. From athletes preparing for competition to public speakers rehearsing a presentation, the tank can induce the calm needed to perform at ones best. Mental rehearsal research has shown it to be just as practical as physical rehearsal.
+ Super-Learning
With the brain being held in a theta state wave-length the mind becomes hyper-suggestible. With less distractions and greater resources at its disposal the mind is able to absorb new material very deeply with research showing improved performance in memory and recall activities. It is great to use in conjunction with exam preparation.
+ Pyschoneuroimmunology (PNI)
This is a multidisciplinary approach to how well our immune system functions based on our state of mind. It correlates having a positive healthy state of mind with a well-functioning immune system. Some research has even shown how focusing on an injury of diseased area of the body with positive feelings of a healing intention has improved recovery rates from various ailments.
+ Endorphins
Floating and the relaxation response it induces flood the body with endorphins. These neurotransmitters are responsible for relieving us from pain, enhancing our mood (decreasing feelings of depression to potentially generating feelings of euphoria), they can suppress our appetite, and decrease anxiety leaving us in a calm and clear state of being.
+ Sensitivity Buffering
Some of us are known as introverts while others are extroverts. Introverts who float can gain a feeling of safety and security, they often enjoy the break from constant stimulation in which they are usually hypersensitive to. No person or thing will disturb you while in the tank. Extroverts can develop greater internal sensitivity from floating, typically they are always seeking extra stimulation and paradoxically through depriving the senses the nervous system’s response is to “turn up the volume” to try and feel more. Since minimal input is coming in they are able to develop greater sensitivity to their internal reality and over time they may not feel the need to be constantly stimulated; i.e. it may heighten their “dulled” senses, and won’t need to be constantly stimulated.
+ Poor sleep/insomnia
From managing chronic stress and inducing a natural calm, to facilitating introspection and identifying various less-serving modes of thinking, many people report drastically improved sleeping abilities. The change in your physical state and your mental outlook may provide you with a healthier perspective in which to put your body and mind to rest much easier each night if sleeping is an issue. Also, 90 minutes in the tank can feel like 6-8 hours of sleep. It is extremely therapeutic, refreshing and rejuvenating. So if you pulled an all-nighter, suffer from insomnia or have a baby who never lets you sleep the night through, floating can help make up for any lack of sleep you may experiencing.
For decades, the physical and mental benefits of floatation therapy have been enjoyed by users across the world. The Wave Float Room offers a peaceful space to escape the hectic, stressful daily life. As you lay in a shallow pool of water and pure Epsom salt, your body floats like a cork in the solution. For true sensory deprivation, the room’s air and water are maintained at body temperature, and light and sound are controlled. Alternatively, underwater music and color light therapy can be added if preferred. From head to toe, your body will be completely rested and at ease. Meanwhile, your brain is able to relax and meditate – even achieving the elusive theta state. It is truly a unique, rejuvenating experience.
While everyone enters the Wave Float Room for different reasons, the benefits of flotation therapy can be enjoyed for days after your session.
Enhancing mind, body, and spirit:
Promotes total calm and peaceful relaxation
Alleviates mental and physical stress
Expands awareness and intensifies acuteness of all senses
Speeds the healing process
Decreases the production of cortisol and adrenaline
Increases production of endorphins
Relieves pain from arthritis, migraines, and injuries
Boosts immune function
Improves circulation and distribution of oxygen and nutrients
Reduces blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, and oxygen consumption
Improves athletic performance
Helps prevent sports injuries
Eliminates fatigue and jet leg
Heightens visualization
Deepens meditation
Diminishes depression, anxiety, and fear
BENEFITS OF GRAVITY REDUCTION
Expediting healing broken bones
Expediting Healing Sprained Joints
Relief From Back & Neck Pain
Spinal Alignment
Physical Rehabilitation
Athletic Training:
Lactic Acid reduction
Improved Reaction Time
Physical Recovery
Injury Recovery
Visualization
The salt solution is at body temperature
Calmer than being in the womb
Removes 95% -98% of stimulation and stress
1 hour in the tank is equivalent to 4 - 6 hours sleep
Over twice the buoyancy of the Dead Sea!
Hygienic - salt is a natural disinfectant plus water is filtered
between floats and purified by ultra-violet.
Your new secret tool!
The secret to the amazing benefits felt by having regular float sessions comes largely from the fact that floating shifts your brain into lower, more relaxing frequency levels:
Beta (normal alert state for day to day tasks)
Alpha (relaxed but aware of our surroundings)
Theta (in between awake & sleep) – The Typical Float Level
Delta (deep sleep)
The Theta state is typically associated with advanced meditative techniques and provides an immense clarity of thought and an experience of the pure essence of being. Floatation is a tool which makes this state easily accessible to anyone.
The frequency shift made possible by floatation enables true mental and physical relaxation as well as opening up your mind's capacity for recovery, thought and creativity. See below for examples of the sorts of benefits reported as a result of floatation:
General Well-being
Evokes feelings of deep calm and relaxation
Increases flow of feel-good endorphins
Relieves stress (both mental and physical)
Refreshes and rejuvenates
Improves sleep patterns
Reduces feelings of depression, anxiety and fear
Assists with overcoming addictions, phobias and habits
Mental Benefits
Improves clarity of thought and concentration
Encourages more creative thought patterns
Increases ability to solve problems
Facilitates deeper meditation
Synchronises left/right hemispheres of brain
Enables concentrated visualisation (good for professional sportsmen/women)
Physical Benefits
Reduces rehabilitation and recovery time significantly (athletic and post-operative)
Relieves pain (chronic pain, arthritis, headaches etc.)
Improves blood circulation
Reduces blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consumption
Improves physical/athletic performance
Decreases production of cortisol, lactic acid and adrenaline
Conditions helped by Floatation
Below are just a few examples of conditions, which scientific research has shown to be improved through the use of floatation sessions:
Burn-out syndrome
Chronic Headaches and Migraines
Chronic Lower Back Pain
Stress-related disorders such as anxiety and PTSD
Depression
Fibromyalgia
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome
Hypertension
Conditions known to be Improved by Floating
These are just a few of the conditions known to be improved by floating:
Stress relief
Muscular pain
Rheumatism
Chronic pain
Fatigue Fertility
High blood pressure
Migraine headache
Jet lag
Anxiety
Insomnia
Back pain
Depression
Pre-menstrual tension
Post-natal depression
Fertility Benefits of Floating
It is said one couple in seven has problems when they try for a baby. There are many reasons but, cure one of the most important is also one we can help with - Stress.
Floatation therapy is the most powerful stress relief technique known. For fertility treatment, we recommend for women, is a course of ten floats in a month, approximately every two to three days right through the fertile period. The degree of relaxation achieved is wonderful and will of course benefit you in many ways but if stress is the principal cause of your failure to conceive, then floating really is the best treatment.
Floating has been shown many times (and in controlled studies) compared to bed rest, to be the most relaxing experience on earth. Relaxation measured by perceived stress, by hormone measurement and by brain waves all confirm the truth of this claim. Floating is easy, no skill is required and we offer special ten session prices to fit in with our recommendation for fertility treatment. It makes no difference what time of day you float because the effects last for two to three days. We are open from ten till ten every day.
We believe the benefit of floating is the same for natural conception and for IVF treatments.
Overcome Insomnia by Floating
Insomnia - floating will reduce stress and give your body a chance to sleep.
Sleep is part of our natural life, and whilst still mysterious in some ways has obvious benefits experienced by us all. How sad therefore that our restorative sleep sometimes eludes us. There are thousands of reasons compounded from our individual experiences. However one stands out - stress. Stress has many meanings but in an unfair vicious circle, being deprived of sleep is itself a major stress.
There is a solution. Floating in a float tank will release stress and allow you to sleep.
Some people, in fact many people fall asleep in a float session. It's perfectly safe and natural. However the normal float session time of about an hour is not enough. Not everyone can own their own float tank. (We sell float tanks too but to get back to sleep...) therefore an evening float session is logical and effective, you will be relaxed and sleep will come easily.
Everyone has their own problems and floating may not affect all of those but we can say that floating will reduce stress and give your body a chance to sleep.
The floating effect is physiological, your body will respond even if your brain and mind are anxious. The relaxation is automatic, it is an evolved response to floating, common to all humans, it will work even if your brain remains active in the float session, as it can sometimes. Therefore it works in many stressful situations.
Just one float session can be so effective as to break a long pattern of bad sleep, because one good night's sleep will lead to another. Give it a try, you may be surprised how good it feels.
Floatation therapy helps people reach peak mental and physical performance. Performance benefits include recuperation and rejuvenation, injury rehabilitation and neuro-muscular programming, self exploration and awareness, improved creativity and mental practice through visualisation.
Being inside the pod, where sensory input is eliminated, produces a
mental state where your learning abilities are at their highest and powers of visualisation and auto-suggestion are greatly enhanced. It is suggested that the brain enters an extended ‘theta state’ which can be used as a tool for enhanced creativity and problem solving or super learning. With less distractions and greater resources at its disposal the mind is able to absorb new material deeply, with research showing improved performance in memory and recall activities.
What do all of these top performers, institutions, artists, teams and athletes have in common?
NBA MVP and Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry
Stand up comedian, UFC commentator and podcast sensation Joe Rogan
Serial Entrepreneur and best selling author Tim Ferriss
MMA fighters Pat Healy, Rose Namajunas and Tom Watson
NFL teams including Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots
Team GB Olympians Philips Idowu, Tasha Danvers and Jade Johnson
The Australian Olympic team and AIS (Australian Institute of Sport)
Premiership footballer and England Captain Wayne Rooney
Gold medal long jumper Carl Lewis
Record breaking NFL quarter back Tom Brady
Australian model, business woman and actress Elle Macpherson
Rock legend Peter Gabriel
Best-selling author, physician, producer and screen writer Michael Crichton
BAFTA winning actress Susan Sarandon
Lord of the dance Michael Flatley
Freeskier and alpine ski racer, 9 time Winter X game medalist, Jon Olsson
They all use floatation to aid performance and the list continues to grow.
Float and perform better!
Benefits
Physiological benefits
Mental benefits
Sensory Deprivation
Relieves spine, muscles and joints
Releases acute and persistent and/or chronic tension
Advances the healing of herniated discs, joints, sciatica, lumbago, pulled muscles and sprains
Reduces chronic pain symptoms (e.g. migraine)
Supports healing processes (e.g. whiplash, bone fractures, etc.)
Reduces high blood pressure, slows the pulse rate
Dilates blood vessels including capillaries, increasing the supply of blood to every cell in your body
Noticeably reduces stress related chemicals
Has a positive and soothing effect on the skin (reduces psoriasis, neurodermatitis, acne)
Eases rheumatic pain
Relieves jet-lag
Increases well-being through the release of endorphins
Floating during Pregnancy
***We recommend to check with your health care provider before booking a float session.
Flotation Therapy provides a safe and effective way for women to escape the physical demands of pregnancy. The water is heated to skin temperature, 36°C. Unlike a hot tub, the body’s core temperature does not rise over the course of a session. Floating takes away added strain on the spine and soothes backaches and aching joints. Floating has been proven to help other common conditions of late-stage pregnancy- insomnia, depression and anxiety- by decreasing cortisol levels and encouraging the production of endorphins. It is often noted that the flotation therapy creates a “mirror effect” of the baby floating in the womb of the Mother and the Mother floating in the womb-like float pod. Women can bond with their babies in this peaceful environment.
Mental benefits
Synchronizes the hemispheres of the brain
Reduces the brain wave frequency
Increases concentration, creativity, productivity
Balances over-stimulation caused by the environment and slows down the metabolism
Supports meditation, autogenic training, and super-learning
Reduces stress and strengthens the resistance to the effects of stress in the days following your float experience
Brain wave frequency
The electrical activity of the brain can be divided into frequency patterns and recorded using an electroencephalograph (or EEG). The brain waves have been classified into four sections:
Beta waves (frequency 14-18 Hz) active state.
Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) calm, relaxed or creative state.
Theta waves (4-8 Hz) drowsiness, state between consciousness and sleep.
Delta waves (4 Hz) Regenerative state, sleep, dream state.
Theta
This state is induced in a floating session. Theta offers access to unconscious material, reverie, free association, sudden insight, and creative inspiration. For a long time, scientists had a difficult time studying it, as it is hard to maintain for a longer period. Most people tend to fall asleep when they generate theta waves.
Using a state of deep relaxation as a source of creativity has been known to mankind since antiquity. The most famous examples for insights and revelation are the bathing Archimedes (the law of equilibrium of fluids), Newton sitting relaxed under an apple tree (discovery of the laws of gravity), and Albert Einstein, who had many of his ideas in the bathtub and used it for “consciousness trips”. There are a great many stories of moments of inspiration and creativity, which arise when people are drifting into sleep, looking at the sky or into the fire. They all speak of drowsiness, relaxation and a rush of vivid mental imagery and other typical characteristics of the theta state.
Weightlessness
When lying suspended in water, the body is able to take up a position only possible when floating which creates the sensation of complete weightlessness. Muscles, skeleton, vessels and organs are freed from the effects of gravity. The body is able to enter a natural posture, free of tension, without contortions or pressure points. When in this special position, you can obtain a unique and easily achievable form of deep repose. All groups of muscles can relax simultaneously, and, freed of their own weight, joints, vessels and organs are substantially relieved.
Sensory Deprivation
Nearly everyone today has to deal with very large amounts of stimuli, to be able to meet the demands of daily business and private life. This sensory overload creates stress which leads to fatigue, tension and decrease in performance. Stress has a negative impact on our immune system and can trigger various diseases. The human brain uses about 80% if its capacity during the day to process and reflect on exterior stimuli. When floating the brain and the nervous system are relieved of all sensory perceptions:
• zero gravity
• no determined position of the body
• no noise
• no visual impact
• no change in temperature
The water temperature inside the pods is consistently maintained at approximately 36°C, which corresponds to the skin temperature, so that the nerves on the surface of the skin do not perceive any difference. The water is neither experienced as warm nor cold. The body is at an ideal temperature and does not have to use any energy to balance changes in temperature.
Effects of Saline Solution Spas
Brine baths have traditionally been used for healing in many cultures. They are the basis of many spa systems (e.g. Dead Sea products). Yet they do not only serve as cosmetic skin care but have a much broader range of benefits. Brine baths have positive effects on the skin, the cardiovascular system, metabolism, hormone functions, kidneys and muscles.
• Relaxation of the muscles
• Relief of the joints
• Pain relief
• Detoxification of tissues via the skin
• Alleviation of rheumatic complaints
• Relief of the autonomous nervous system
• Generally relaxing and calming
• Increase rehabilitation after heavy physical strain
• Positive effect on psycho-vegetative exhaustion and overburdening mental strain
Magnesium is considered a very valuable substance when treating the consequences of strokes. When prevalent in a sufficient amount, it also protects the body from neurological dysfunctions and strengthens psychic stability. Chemical signal substances (neurotransmitters) which pass between individual neurons, cross the synapses as electrical impulses. Ions, electrically charged particles, thereby create an electrical current which travels on concerted pathways through the body. Calcium ions in particular are responsible for triggering these impulses once a critical value has been reached. Magnesium, on the other hand, counteracts the calcium ions and functions as dampener, if the signals get too many and the transfer of information becomes too hectic. So, if there is magnesium deficiency, there can be bouts of higher frequencies of neurological processes, which are experienced as stress. This again can lead to nervousness, cramps, digestive disorders, and even to states of complete exhaustion. By supplying the body with sufficient magnesium, stress tolerance is increased. Magnesium can be supplied to the body in food, but can also be absorbed by the skin when taking a magnesium bath.
History and the Modern Age
• Development and Basic Research
• Modernization and Market Development
Development and Basic Research
The flotation tank was developed in the mid-fifties by the renowned neurophysiologist Professor Dr. John C. Lilly (1915-2001) on assignment by the US government for the National Institute for Mental Health. At this time, there were two contradictory hypotheses regarding how the human brain reacts under sensory deprivation. One side argued that the brain would reduce its activity and that brain cells would even die off, if deprived of external stimulation. Lilly was convinced of the opposite to be true and proved his theory by devising the first isolation tank in 1954. In the many experiments that followed, he proved that certain activities in the brain are triggered when the senses are deprived and that during longer periods in the tank the individual may experience many moments of increased creativity.
Lilly studied the effects of the tank for several decades on himself and his staff, but eventually distanced himself from his employer. He made the tank and its beneficial effects known worldwide and continued his studies in an institute he founded for this purpose. Lilly spent the remainder of his life in Maui, Hawaii where he researched dolphins. He died in 2001.
Besides John Lilly, it is Michael Hutchison who has helped spread the knowledge on the effects of floating. The North-American scientific journalist wrote a comprehensive book on the topic in 1984. In his work, he alludes to the approx. 300 different studies at universities in the USA alone and summarizes their results. When reading Hutchinson is soon becomes obvious that flotation tanks can be used for very many different areas of treatment. Modern neuroscience has made significant advances by refining methods to measure brain waves. Ever new correlations of certain parts of the brain to specific states of consciousness are being discovered. The isolation tank is the object of many investigations of what is, in many respects, a forward-looking field of research. Research on the human experience of creativity, expanded and mystical consciousness is still in its beginnings.
Modernization and Market Development
Commercial flotation centres have existed in the United States since the end of the 1970’s and their number has constantly increased in urban centres on both west and east coasts. Flotation technology was, however, unable to reach the broader mass market, as, for example fitness studios have and for a long time it formed part of an esoteric subculture. Floating tanks came from the USA first to Great Britain, Australia and the Netherlands roughly in the mid 1980’s. Since the end of the 1990’s, new commercial centres have opened in all European countries and in Asia. Floating is frequently used in hotels and is increasingly featured in the media.
Research
Floating in a super-saturated saline solution has medically proven effects in the areas of:
• Orthopedics
• Sport medicine
• Convalescence
• Pain therapy
• Fibromyalgia
• Dermatology
• Stress reduction
Research done in the USA and Sweden shows that new studies have confirmed specifics already known and new information has been collected using modern research methods.
Orthopedic Benefits
Floating in a saturated saline solution enables the human body to take a position which is unlike being in a bed, a waterbed, a bathtub or lying on any other surface. This particular position is characterized by the following:
• the spine is completely straight
• individual vertebrae are not functional twisted
• all muscle groups (in particular the muscles of the neck) can relax simultaneously
• all joints, intervertebral discs, ligaments and bones are relieved at the same time
Hereby acute and chronic tension is released and slipped discs, joint pains, sciatica, lumbago, pulled muscles or sprains improve. In particular chronic back pain, which has become the most widespread and common complaint can be relieved by floating in a saturated saline solution. 80% of the German population suffers from backache and relieving the spine by floating is a very simple yet extremely effective method to ease pain.
Back pain
General
Backache has become very widespread in the past years. Nearly half the population in western industrial countries complains of lasting or recurring back pain. Another 30% admit having suffered from back pain in the last two years. With this, approximately 80% of the population is affected by pain stemming from the spine. Chronic back pain is, next to heart disease, one of the most common reasons for inability to work and premature pension.
The spine
Nearly all types of back pain originate in the spine. The spine carries the weight of the torso and has to therefore adapt to pressure in various situations. Misalignment, one-sided strain, or age-related wear and tear often lead to chronic pain. The spine is divided into three major sections:
• cervical spine
• thoracic spine
• lumbar spine
Sport Medicine
The flotation tank has been used in various area of sports medicine for a number of years now. Floating in the super saturated saline solution has numerous positive effects on the organism, in particular when recovering from the stress of intensive exercise. The following topics have been researched in depth:
• Reduced production of lactate
• Stimulation of muscle tone
• Prevention of injuries
• Recovery from injuries
• Pain reduction
Physiological Aspects
Lactate is a metabolic product created in the muscles when glucose is broken down during physical exertion or when energy is produced anaerobically. The consequences of high lactate levels are fatigue, pain and muscle cramps. Floating gravity free in flotation tanks allows lactic acid to be transported out of the muscles faster thereby considerably reducing muscle contractions and strain.
Mental Aspects
Lactate production can seriously impede the ability of the athlete to think clearly. Especially in the final phases of a game or competition, it is often particularly difficult to remain calm, quiet and concentrated. By reducing lactate levels, floating has an extremely positive effect on strength of mind, strategic thinking and mental clarity. It has been scientifically proven that floating reduces lactate levels in the blood
Muscle Growth
During training, muscles are stimulated with a very high intensity. Strengthening and muscle growth, however, nearly exclusively takes place when in a state of relaxation. When experiencing weightlessness, all groups of muscle can relax deeply. Using a flotation tank after intensive training is said to lead to more rapid muscle growth.
When building up muscle, the best results are achieved by stimulating muscle growth during training and then allowing for deliberate relaxation.
Prevention of Injuries
Most sports injuries do not occur through direct physical contact, but by incorrect muscle tension, overstretching or pulled muscles. The best way to prevent injuries like this is to loosen muscles prior to exercise (warm-up exercises). In a flotation pod, general muscle tension is reduced significantly, even after just short periods of time floating. This can lead to substantially reducing the risk of such injuries.
Convalescence and Pain Relief
Several university research projects have shown that by allowing the body lie suspended and gravity free in a floatation pod, healing processes especially of sports injuries are accelerated.
In their ongoing research on the psycho-physiological effects of floating, neurosurgeon Dr. John Turner and psychologist Thomas H. Fine of the Medical College of Ohio have discovered that a session in a flotation tank can relieve pain considerably and even create slight feelings of euphoria. Dr. Thomas Fine reports that “practically all patients suffering from chronic pain claimed that they had forgotten their pain while floating. ” Floating increases the secretion of endorphins in the body, natural opiates, which reduce pain and create pleasure.
Rehabilitative Medicine
The goal of rehabilitative medicine is to restore the physical and organ functions of the patient through physio-therapeutical measures. These measures are usually taken if the patient has had an accident, or has injured her/himself whilst doing sports or engaging in other activities.
The successful restoration of lost or impaired muscular-skeletal functions, often occurring after operations, depends to a large extent on post-operational rehabilitation treatment.
Comprehensive rehabilitation concepts have been including various types of spa treatments for a while now. The advantages of floating in a saturated saline solution are clearly identifiable:
• the floating effect enables irritated bones and joints after an operation to be immobilized, thus inducing more rapid healing.
• whiplash often goes together with small fractures of various processes of the cervical vertebrae, which are often not diagnosed sufficiently. Patients often suffer for months. Floating loosens sprained neck muscles and allows the cervical vertebrae to lie straight and without any pressure. This often leads to surprisingly quick results.
• Similarly, smaller injuries like pulled muscles, sprains and contusions are relieved through floating and the overall relaxation of the nervous system (reduction of external stimuli).
• Muscular relaxation and the effect of sensory deprivation reduce the stimulation of the nervous system enormously. This leads to larger endorphin production in the brain and the convalescent patient often describes a subjectively lower sensation of pain.
Pain Medicine
Pain medicine developed from the initial desire to define the specific functionalities of the human body which play a role in the origination and perception of pain. Approximate 15 million people suffer from constant pain. The treatment of pain patients is one of the most expensive areas of the healthcare system.
Both origination of pain and individual perception of pain are related to the degree of relaxation in the muscles and to the general degree of stress in the nervous system. Besides treating pain symptoms through medication by prescribing pain killers, using specific methods to create states of relaxation has meanwhile become an established practice. Mental techniques (e.g. auto-suggestion, autogenic-training) or yoga, can help create mental and physical relaxation.
Purely physiological relaxation methods have also been scientifically researched: floating has both an effect on the individual and subjective perception of pain as also on the autonomic nervous system, the system of pathways which transport pain impulses. A radical reduction of exterior sensory stimuli reduces stimulation of the nervous system so perceivably that over-stimulation is reduced and pain is perceived as being less intense.
Relaxation and the reduction of sensory stimuli contribute to an increase in the release of endorphins and can thus be linked to pain relief also at bio-chemical level. A higher level of natural opiates in the blood of test persons was reliably tested in various examinations.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, described as a constant dull ache, typically arising from muscles. It effects 2% of general population and women are much more likely to develop it than are men by a ratio of 9:1. It is a devastating and often unpredictable condition that causes dreadful pain and impacts life by interfering with the ability to do the simplest things.
An international study of the effects of three flotation REST session on people suffering fibromyalgia showed a clinically and statistically significant reduction of symptoms as well as improvement in mood, energy and ability to function. The study also demonstrated a carry-over effect for most symptom reduction with progressive improvement. Case studies demonstrated that longer-term improvement can continue almost to remission with repeated treatment with this therapy.
Dermatology
The particular health benefits of the mineral salts of the Dead Sea were already known in Antiquity. Through the centuries, humankind has discovered ever more aspects of the beneficial effects of mineral salts, especially when highly dosed in baths. When floating, the body lies suspended in a high concentrate of magnesium sulphate (also known as epsomite or bitter salts) the sensation is similar to that of bathing in the Dead Sea.
Particularly in dermatology, a lot of research is being done on the effects of highly saturated saline solutions on human skin. Saltwater baths can be very helpful when treating common skin conditions such as allergies, neurodermatitis and psoriasis. Loss of moisture in the cells is balanced out and minerals and other nutrients are transported more easily through the cell membrane.
The alleviation of a number of skin problems has been very well documented. Skin diseases seldom improve with medication or other therapies, so that many patients seek this approach as the only truly effective treatment. The salt penetrates hard skin and comparatively little water is absorbed. Studies show that proteins in the skin’s cells are broken down and with that cell proliferation increases. This naturally stimulates epidermal regeneration and the skin becomes smoother. Magnesium assists in normalizing exfoliation of the skin and accelerates the metabolism of the cells.
When floating suspended in a super saturated saline solution, there are two additional effects, which, it is said, have at least an indirect effect on skin diseases of psychosomatic origin:
• deep relaxation through the effect of floating weightlessly
• sensory deprivation which relieves the complete nervous system.
When floating in the Dead Sea, but also in other saturated salt baths it is recommended not to stay for more than 30 minutes, as some of the high-chloride salts (mostly sodium chloride) frequently cause skin irritations. By using high-purity magnesium sulphate, which is by far the most gentle salt to the skin, sessions lasting up to several hours in a super-saturated saline solution are possible and have a positive effect on the skin.
Stress Reduction, Increase in Stress Tolerance
Floaters across the world agree that floating is one of the most effective means today of reducing stress. The Australian Institute of Sports, for example, has been using flotation for stress management very successfully for years. Scientific research shows that the deep relaxation has a lasting effect by accelerating the reduction of ACTH, adrenaline, noradrenalin and cortisol levels.
• In the relaxed state in the flotation tank, it is virtually impossible to experience anxiety, as – as we know from behavior therapy – anxiety or fear and relaxation are mutually exclusive. Some dental clinics for example use flotation tanks for patients afraid of receiving dental treatment.
• By deeply relaxing in the tank and screening out exterior stimuli, it is easier to become aware of and then experience your inner, psychic world more freely, openly and without distractions. Correlations, which would take a much longer time to recognize, can be comprehended, processed and changed when floating within a short time.
• In a state of deep relaxation and inner and outer calm, you can influence mental processes more easily and with a longer lasting effect than without the help of a tank. This makes the flotation tank an ideal instrument for all types of mental training. The calm you experience is maintained, so that when you float regularly your stress tolerance can be noticeably increased.