If you are seeking ways to relieve chronic pain float therapy sessions may be able to help you manage your condition. (Or, when coupled with the proper wellness routine, rid you of your issue, altogether.) However, before we get into the benefits of float centers for chronic pain patients, it’s important to understand the differences between typical aches and pains and long-term pain conditions, the types of chronic pain and pain management tactics.
Regular Pain vs. Chronic Pain
Pain relief methods are pursued by most people at one time or another – even those who only experience occasional aches and pains. To illustrate, when you experience any type of injury, the pain signal travels from the injured part of your body up to your brain. The initial pain you experience is typically more intense, and gradually lessens as you heal.
However, chronic pain is an entirely different concept; even after injury recovery, these pain signals continue to reach your brain. How long can chronic pain last? A chronic pain disorder can last from weeks to months to years, but is traditionally defined as a pain disorder that spans at least three months.
The Limitations of Chronic Pain
Without chronic pain management and treatment in place, this condition can negatively impact your day-to-day life, making it difficult to achieve even the most basic tasks. Along with taking a mental toll, if you do not form a pain relief plan, there are several physical limitations that can be imposed by chronic pain, including reductions in:
- Mobility.
- Strength.
- Flexibility.
- Endurance.
Types of Chronic Pain
From arthritis to migraines, chronic pain can present itself in various forms. However, the pain may feel different, depending on the affected area. Before you take the steps to relieve chronic pain, you may notice the condition in the below scenarios:
- Following surgery
- After experiencing bodily trauma
- In the form of headaches
- From recurring lower-back issues
- As a cancer patient
- From nerve damage
- Due to joint pain issues
- As a result of psychogenic pain problems
In addition, chronic pain – especially without pain relief – knows no bounds, and can be inflicted differently and at various rates. Your long-term pain may feel dull or sharp, and can be accompanied by burning or aching sensations. Still, lasting pain, from both sports performance and other causes, can occur at a steady pace, or intermittently – without any rhyme or reason. Moreover, some patients have no record of prior injury when chronic pain strikes. Long-term pain can also be the result of an underlying health issue, like:
- Fibromyalgia.
- Endometriosis.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
How to Relieve Chronic Pain With Float Spa Therapy
Floatation therapy is an organic and alternative pain relief treatment option. The beauty of booking a visit to a float studio as part of your chronic pain regimen is that you will not endure negative physical side effects from drug treatments – like you might experience when taking certain medications.
Instead, as your body becomes entirely weightless during a float session, this offers full-body relaxation, allowing physical tensions and pressures release. Also, the weightless relaxation produces a state of mental calmness that may allow you to shift your focus away from your pain – and possibly into a meditative state – which is a complementary benefit of this type of wellness practice.
Floatation REST therapy, which stands for “Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy,” has not only been shown to significantly reduce severe pain in floaters, but floating for pain relief has been accompanied by additional, positive outcomes, like:
- An elevation in optimistic outlooks.
- Reduced levels of anxiety and depression.
- The ability to fall asleep faster (especially for nighttime floaters).
Additionally, various changes for the better have been experienced specifically by floaters seeking chronic back pain relief.
How to Prepare for Salt Water Float Therapy Sessions With Chronic Pain
If you are seeking chronic pain relief, South Florida Float8 wellness studio locations invite you to enter a float spa pod, orb or cabin to customize your experience. While the vessels vary in size (since we know not every floater has the same preference), the core of our floatation therapy sessions remain the same. As you enter your float chamber of choice, you should:
- Cleanse and prepare: Take a quick shower, insert your earplugs and protect any open cuts.
- Enter your floatation chamber: Do this slowly, as the water can be slippery, and then lay down vertically.
- Get comfortable: You can utilize our foam pillows or get situated however you’d like.
- Experience sensory deprivation: This will allow you to tune out light, sound and other external distractions.
- Embrace the float: Close your eyes and try to shift your focus from your pain to your recovery for the remainder of your session.
Before you float as an alternative chronic pain relief method, it is always a good idea to check in with your physician – especially if you recently underwent surgery or are consuming certain pain medications. Once you are medically cleared, come join us regularly for float therapy benefits to work through any mind-body issues that are impacting your chronic pain condition.
Chronic Pain Management
If you are suffering without a way to relieve your chronic pain, it’s important to develop a wellness plan. As you work to manage or mitigate your long-term pain condition, make sure to consult with your:
- Doctor/surgeon. Regular follow-ups can ensure you remain educated on your experiences.
- Physical therapist. You may be able to gain back the physical abilities you have lost.
- Mental health counselor. Work with a therapist to learn how to mentally process your pain.
- Wellness providers. Find out if activities like floatation therapy, acupuncture or yoga are right for you.
Keep in mind that lasting pain problems vary from person to person, so formulating a custom chronic pain relief plan – that’s right for your own body – is the best way to tackle your condition.
