Scientists from University of California investigated if floatation therapy can be used as a possible treatment for chronic tension headaches and how effective it was.
31 patients participating in the experiment followed different float tank procedures. These comprised of two one hour and one half hour sessions per week for the 4 weeks period.
6 months after the treatment was completed, the reports of headaches were significantly lower. Float tank therapy combined with muscle relaxation exercises resulted in 57% improvement!
Clinical results were comparable to those obtained with more time- and effort- consuming therapies. The study confirmed that REST is a useful, long-lasting and a versatile treatment for chronic tension headaches.
Researchers from Karlstad University in Sweden carried out a dedicated study to examine the effect of floating tank therapy on chronic muscle pain relief.
37 patients suffering from chronic muscle pain in the back and neck area were treated with floating tank therapy sessions up to 9 times over a 3 weeks period.
The results revealed that the most severe perceived pain was significantly reduced. Moreover, the floatation treatments elevated participants’ optimism level and decreased the degree of depression and anxiety. The therapy also helped patients to fall asleep more easily.
Sensory deprivation tank therapy has been successful in pain management associated with other conditions, such as: migraines, reumathoid arthrisis or severe pre-menstrual syndrome.
The duration of the pain relief after the tank session depends on various factors, as: how easily a patient can achieve full relaxation or the number of sessions.