In this article, let’s look at the 5 most compelling benefits float therapy has to offer those living and working in Peterborough, Ontario.

What is Float Therapy?

Also known as Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy (REST) or Sensory Deprivation Therapy, Flotation Therapy uses an environment that allows one to remove themselves from outside stimulation and experience a feeling of weightlessness. 

This is achieved by using a float tank that has 10-12” of water in which almost 1000 pounds of epsom salt are dissolved. The environment inside the float therapy tank is dark, quiet and the water and air are kept at a temperature that is skin receptor neutral.

This creates the feeling of floating in space! The float tank provides the optimum environment to reconnect with ourselves, heal and create focus.

Floating Helps with Anxiety 

Veterans across the U.S. are finding an extraordinary source of relief from their pain and PTSD thanks to floatation therapy, an alternative treatment for physical and emotional ailments.https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/veterans-are-finding-peace-from-ptsd-through-float-therapy/

Did you know that in the USA veterans are using Float Therapy to help manage the symptoms of PTSD? 

Studies on meditation have shown decreased activity in the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response, and an increase in activity in the areas of the brain that are associated with attention. 

Natural Stress Relief (NSR) Meditation, a mental technique practiced for 15 minutes twice a day, reduces stress and anxiety by inducing a physiological state of deep rest. Regular practice of this technique appears to reduce trait anxiety and to develop qualities associated with self-actualization, such as inner peace, satisfaction, and creativity.Coppola, Fabrizio; Spector, David View source article.

Justin Feinstein, who opened the Float Clinic and Research Centre at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma is finding the same results when comparing EEG and MRI activity taken before, during and after float sessions. 

Feinstein believes that Float Therapy can be used as a short-cut to a meditative state that not everyone can achieve.  He has also conducted studies that compared Float Therapy and lorazepam and has found that the post-float brain the amygdala is essentially shut-off, like it would on medication.

More research is being conducted to confirm and replicate these results, but these studies give hope to people dealing with anxiety that there are alternatives for treatment.

Float Therapy Relieves Pain

The magnesium in the water is one of the reasons for this, the body uses magnesium for many things including muscle contraction and relaxation.  Far too many people are magnesium deficient these days and experience muscle spasm as a result. 

Many Massage Therapists suggest their clients take epsom salt baths after their treatment and the reason for that is to reduce post-massage soreness (can also be used after a workout) by helping dispose of lactic acid that can build up in the muscles, and reducing inflammation in the body. 

It has been suggested that magnesium may also prevent headaches and that magnesium levels in a person’s brain drop during a migraine, what better way to increase your magnesium and combat headaches and migraines than a nice soak in a warm, dark, quiet tank?

The environment in a float tank also has a lot to offer those who suffer from pain, because it essentially offers zero gravity.  Floating effortlessly due to the amount of epsom salt in the water, a person is able to lay in a neutral position, with proper alignment without some of the incorrect body postures we often employ during our day.  This reduces imbalance in the muscles and the lack of pressure allows the joints to decompress.

Pregnant Women Can Float Too

Pregnancy is a wonderful, amazing thing but let’s face it, it comes with some not so wonderful side effects… fatigue, discomfort, swelling and and increased pressure on the body.

Expectant mothers can benefit greatly from the healing properties of magnesium, the calm and quiet of the tank, as well as the affects of decreased gravity on the body.  Additionally, floating after the birth itself can help increase your energy.

We suggest waiting until mid to late second trimester before floating because those in first trimester sometimes experience nausea while floating.

We also suggest consulting with your obstetrician or midwife prior to trying float therapy.

Peterborough Has Float Therapy Clinics!

One of the problems I currently have with Floating is that, after I’ve had my session and am in my fully blissed out post-float state, I have to get into my car and drive for an hour or more to get home. 

Although it doesn’t totally remove the wonderful effects of the float tank, driving does dull my overall bliss.  That is part of the reason I decided to open a float therapy centre in Peterborough.

The decision was also made because, as an RMT, I knew of so many people who could benefit from this type of hydrotherapy.

Opening in our new location May of 2019, Atlas Therapeutic will have three float therapy tanks to service our clients. We will also be offering a range of manual therapies to compliment flotation therapy.  We pride ourselves in the high quality of care we give to our clients to ensure their goals are met.

Your Float Therapy Sessions May Be Covered By Insurance

If you have benefit coverage for massage therapy your float session can be reimbursed by your insurer. When combined with a massage therapy treatment, you can get an RMT receipt for your float session, as hydrotherapy falls under the scope of massage therapy. 

You may want to check with your benefit provider to see if they would cover hydrotherapy as a stand-alone service to maximize your coverage.

Feel free to give us a call at 705-745-8869, we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about trying float therapy at our Peterborough clinic!