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June 18, 2019

Float Therapy: 5 Health Benefits Of Isolation

Posted In: Flotation Therapy

Float therapy

Life can be stressful; You are exposed to so many factors that may pose a risk to your health on a daily basis. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress at work, are suffering with anxiety, or are even having trouble sleeping, float therapy can help treat these conditions, and many more, by inducing a deep state of relaxation within the participant.

By 2015, The United States was home to more than 300 float centers. Floatation therapy offers many health benefits and the potential to ease, treat, and prevent many health conditions.

Here are five key benefits of isolation, or float therapy:

1. Reduction of Stress

Isolation therapy has been scientifically proven to reduce the level of stress in the body. Float therapy is able to reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol produced by the body.

Floating also reduces the level of stress in the body by calming the senses associated with sight, sound, and touch. The float tanks and chambers are specially designed to reduce the input of sensory stimuli towards the patient from the external environment. This newly calm surrounding serves to ease the stresses of the mind and body which are often overstimulated through work, school, and other daily engagements.

Time spent in a float therapy chamber has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and stress levels for a duration of more than four months after 12 sessions. The reduction of stress through isolation therapy is a great option to relax and restore the body and mind while remaining non-invasive and drug-free.

2. Improved Quality of Sleep

Isolation has been proven to increase the quality and duration of sleep of float therapy participants. The float chambers are composed of about a foot of water and over 1,000 pounds of Epsom Salt, allowing patients to become fully buoyant over the density of the water, just like the Dead Sea. This feeling of being weightless and free of mental or physical stimulation allows the floater to enter a meditative state of relaxation. This state of being within a zero gravity environment instantly, and over time, allows participants to sleep better and deeper.

The water inside the float tank is kept at the same temperature of the participant’s internal body temperature. The controlled, stable temperature of the environment aids in entering a meditative state. The combination of a controlled environment free of sound and gravitational pressure on the body relaxes all the body’s muscles, making it easier for one to release into the moment and sleep better.

Isolation therapy has been proven to improve sleep and induce a deeper sleep cycle due to its difference from standard bed rest. Normal bed rest requires one to change and adjust the body’s position several times per night, making it more difficult to sleep. Through the process of floatation therapy, the body is free from any and all pressure from the environment, eliminating the tendency to toss and turn and creating a space for full and complete rest.

Sleep quality is also enhanced because of the posture of the body during isolation therapy. The supine position, which is normally used during float therapy relaxes the postural muscles and aids in creating a natural alignment in the spine, free of bodily weight or pressure.

3. Float Therapy Improves Health

Isolation therapy has many health benefits and has been scientifically proven to boost the body’s immune system.

Isolation therapy induces a deep meditative state in the mind, allowing the mind to let go and slow down.  Approximately 90% of the brain’s total workload is reduced during float therapy. This process creates an opportunity for the body to rejuvenate and heal.

Floating in darkness also creates a balance between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This action boosts clarity, creativity, and is also associated with higher levels of optimism.

The magnesium from the salty water is absorbed through the skin. The intake of magnesium through the skin’s pores aids in balancing and correcting magnesium deficiencies found in many patients.

The health benefits of magnesium include:

• Proper transmission of impulses in the body
• Easier and more efficient metabolic functions
• Stronger and healthier bone formation
• Prevention and treatment of bone related dis-eases, such as osteoporosis
• Lower risk of diabetes due to the function of breaking down carbohydrates in the body
• Better muscle health

The key to a healthy body is a healthy mind: Float therapy is a great way to start initiating your body’s health by nourishing your mental well-being.

4. Treatment of Muscle Pain

Isolation therapy has gained a lot of attention from athletes because it helps in healing muscle pain. The float chamber relaxes every muscle in each and every person’s body due to the zero gravity effect created by density of the salt enriched water. Being completely weightless and free of tension allows the body to regenerate and heal itself, thus relieving muscle pain.

The high concentration of magnesium in the float tanks also helps in relieving muscle pain and health. This is because it’s absorbed into the body through the skin’s pores, allowing for easier and more efficient absorption of calcium through concentrated magnesium intake.

The temperature of the water also improves muscle health as no energy is lost in maintaining the body’s normal temperature. Hence, making it easy for muscles to heal and recover relatively faster than in standard conditions.

5. Treatment of Psychological Conditions

Float therapy treats various psychological conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. By reducing the body’s movement and isolating the senses from external stimuli, isolation therapy allows the mind to enter into a deep meditative state. This boosts the healing process of various psychological conditions.

Floatation therapy is the most effective form of muscle and mind relaxation therapy there is today, all thanks to the extreme density of the water inside the float chamber, allowing complete mental and physical release and restoration. This induced naturally induced state of deep meditation assists the body in reducing its stress hormone, cortisol. This natural detox aids in successfully treating patients suffering from mental disorders including anxiety, depression, burn-out, and PTSD.

The reduction in the brains’ activity during isolation therapy allows the body to refresh and reboot itself. This allows one to feel relieved and even more at peace, alleviating any sad or draining feelings which are often associated with mental disorders such as depression. Patients suffering from drug addiction can also be treated using float therapy.

Getting a Float Therapy Session

Float therapy sessions are a chance to escape from the world by retreating into the inner parts of your subconscious. Some mild side-effects may be experienced, such as a slight headache due to the detoxification catalyzed by the Epsom salt dissolved in the water, and an overwhelming feeling of relaxation and weightlessness.

Claustrophobia is a common concern of people interested in float therapy. Luckily, float tanks range in size, some even being spacious enough for two floaters. Afraid of the dark? Not to worry: most float chambers include a dim spa light built into the structure. Small, buoyant lights are also available to accommodate each participant’s concern.

The health benefits of float therapy have been scientifically proven. So book an appointment, lay back, relax, and enjoy your post-float glow.

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