Does Floatation Therapy Help with Back Pain?
65 million people in the United States suffer from back pain daily, and float therapy can provide tremendous relief.
While research on float therapy as a whole is limited, a few studies look specifically at patients with back pain. Keep reading to see if floating can be an effective treatment or complement to your current pain management plan.
Float Therapy can help treat muscle tension pain
Have you ever taken an Epsom salt bath to relieve sore muscles? Adding even a small amount of Epsom salt to a warm bath can work wonders to release lactic acid in your muscles and improve blood flow to the sore area.
With 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt dissolved into a few inches of water, flotation therapy makes for the most restorative Epsom salt bath.
A 2001 experiment involving 37 individuals with back and neck pain showed that perceived pain was significantly reduced compared to the control group.
The zero-gravity environment can help decompress the spine
Low back pain can sometimes be caused by muscle tension or compression of the spine. Imagine floating in outer space, without gravity, where you can relax every single muscle and feel the pressure lift off your spine. Astronauts use floatation therapy to get accustomed to a gravity-free environment before their mission.
When you lay back in a float tank, the buoyant saltwater fully supports your body, so you, too, can float in zero gravity like an astronaut. You’ll likely feel immense relief from the weight of the world, so your back can start to feel better. But you don’t have to buckle up in a rocket ship to get there.
Floatation Therapy is most effective at treating high-intensity pain
While your body is hugged by the supportive, buoyant, silky-smooth water, you may feel immense relief from pain in many areas of your body. The same study cited earlier claimed that patients with high-intensity pain were more likely to feel relief than those with lower-intensity pain.
With four float tanks, we see people of all walks of life (and all types of pain) leave feeling much lighter than they arrived.
Tips for Floating with Back Pain
Be careful getting in and out of the tank- the bottom of the tank can be very slippery
Find a comfortable posture: we encourage everyone to experiment with different positions. Slowly move your hands above your head, put them down by your side, or let them rest on your chest.
Try the halo pillow: sometimes a little extra support behind your head and neck from the halo pillow can be comfortable
Massage, stretching, and physical therapy may provide more long-term relief
Floating complements many different types of therapies, including (but not limited to) counseling, physical or occupational therapy, and massage or fascial stretch therapy.
We highly recommend floating before you get a massage, as the relaxing saltwater will loosen up your muscles and put your mind in a calm state so you are more receptive to the massage. The two modalities of recovery work together, so you get the most from the relaxing aspects of floating and the recovery aspects of massage.
Regardless of the treatments that you choose, we hope you can find relief from the pain you are experiencing. If you are local to Washington, DC, we hope you consider visiting Hope Floats. You can book an appointment here.