Floating Therapy: Floating to Reduce Chronic Pain
By Guylaine Fortin
For most of us, pain is a temporary sensation alerting us that something is wrong in a specific area of the body—something that has caused or could potentially cause damage. Generally, a simple action such as adjusting our posture, stretching, or self-massaging is enough to relieve the pain and prevent it from worsening.
For others, however, pain becomes a constant companion, one that can have devastating long-term consequences.
The World Health Organization now recognizes chronic pain as a disease in its own right, rather than merely a symptom of another condition. 1
This classification is significant because it validates the reality of millions of people who live with this condition across the globe.
Although chronic pain may sometimes make one want to scream, it remains a silent epidemic, often pushing sufferers into isolation, silent struggles, and challenges in performing daily tasks.
How Chronic Pain Develops
Pain is considered chronic when it lasts for at least three to six months. Involving both physical and psychological components, the issue can quickly become cyclical.
The body’s neural and hormonal responses to extreme pain may trigger a continuous stress reaction, which in turn intensifies and prolongs the pain.
One in five people will experience this chronic pain cycle at some point in their life.
Symptoms and Causes
Joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, loss of endurance and flexibility due to reduced physical activity, mood issues, depression, and anxiety are all symptoms of chronic pain.
The causes are equally varied: chronic or autoimmune diseases, arthritis, repetitive stress injuries, migraines, fibromyalgia, nerve damage, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic or post-surgical pain, and more. This makes diagnosing and managing the condition even more complex. What’s more, what qualifies as chronic pain can differ greatly from one person to another. Fortunately, researchers are gaining a better understanding of the conditions most likely to lead to chronic pain.
Can Chronic Pain Be Treated or Cured?
Unfortunately, there is no universal cure for chronic pain. But once the underlying causes are identified, several treatments may be considered. A combination of medication, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and psychotherapy is often proposed for people suffering from chronic pain.
In recent years, a global virtual chronic pain community has formed—often made up of people disappointed or disillusioned by conventional medicine. Since chronic pain is difficult to define or contextualize, alternative treatments like yoga, stress management, relaxation, and other holistic care methods have drawn attention from both researchers and healthcare professionals. People living with chronic pain are often open to trying alternative remedies in the hope of resolving what feels unsolvable.
Floating Therapy: A Promising Option
Among these alternative methods, floating therapy has shown surprising results, particularly due to its sensory deprivation component. This practice involves floating in a pod filled with Epsom salt-saturated water heated to body temperature. The pod can be closed to block out all light and sound. Researchers explain that this lack of external stimuli sharpens the mind and relieves anxious thoughts.
Promising Treatment
In recent years, floating therapy has gained popularity, especially within wellness and holistic health communities. Studies suggest that sensory deprivation may help the brain slow down and reset, alleviating psychological conditions—though not curing them. While research is still in its early stages, there’s a growing consensus that floating holds real promise.
Researchers at the Hannover Medical School in Germany conducted a study focused on using floating therapy for chronic pain. Their experiment involved a sample of 99 men and women aged 18 to 75 who had been diagnosed with chronic pain disorders involving both physical and psychological factors. The treatment consisted of five floating sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes, every four days.
Overall, the results showed short-term benefits in terms of pain reduction, improved sleep quality, lower stress, and reduced anxiety. This study concluded that floating therapy appears to be a highly promising treatment for chronic pain.
Spa Ovarium invites you to experience the benefits of floating—for yourself and for your loved ones who suffer from chronic pain.
Sources:
- www.canada.ca/fr/sante-canada/organisation/a-propos-sante-canada/mobilisation-publique/organismes-consultatifs-externes/groupe-travail-douleur-chronique/rapport-2019.html
- Art of the Float : How floating can reduce chronic pain, july 2021.
