Alternative Therapy for Pain Management
from Jill Klepach, Float Euphoria

Float Therapy

Float therapy is a natural wellness method of promoting healing and relaxation. Dating  back to the 1950s, the first float tank was designed in 1954 to study the origins of consciousness through sensory deprivation by Dr. John C. Lilly, an American physician and neuroscientist. In the 1970s float tanks made the transition over to alternative healthcare. 

 

Throughout the years, further studies have been conducted on the health benefits of float therapy in the form of floatation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy) within the field of pain relief. Floatation-REST consists of an individual floating in buoyant water saturated with Epsom salt, kept at skin surface temperature in a sound-proof, light-free enclosure. Floating in a pod of water saturated with magnesium sulfate is healing for the body, aiding in muscle recovery, pregnancy and pain relief. It removes lactic acid from muscles, speeds rehabilitation and recovery from injury, takes strain off the body during pregnancy and relieves acute and chronic pain, including arthritis and fibromyalgia.

 

Floatation-REST is shown to significantly reduce severe perceived pain intensity in patients. (1) This form of alternative therapy may play an integral part in the treatment of pain related to muscle tension and is shown to be an effective, noninvasive method for treating stress-related muscle pain. (2)

 

In the past decade, relaxation training has been one of a number of behavioral approaches to the treatment of chronic pain. Floatation-REST has been used to induce deep states of relaxation and assist in the relaxation training process. Results have shown patients who regularly used relaxation for chronic recurrent pain were able to reduce it. Patients subjectively rated floatation-REST as being relaxing and pain relieving, with the majority of patients in the study rating themselves as pain free after float therapy. (3)

 

Float Euphoria, a locally-owned float and massage clinic in Kennewick, WA, offers a one-of-its kind zero-gravity float experience where guests float individually in private rooms in Dreampods. The purified water is saturated with half a ton of Epsom salts—much like in the Dead Sea this raises the density and buoyancy of the water, supporting the entire weight of the body. Float sessions are typically 60-90 minutes. Floaters have the option to close or keep the pod lid open, have a sensory experience with spa lighting and calming music, or opt for complete sensory deprivation (REST), allowing one to drift into a meditative state that rejuvenates the mind and body. The temperature is set to the external surface of the skin for a comfortable inner-retreat from demands of the outside world.

 

Massage

Complementary to float therapy, massage plays an important role in pain management. Massage therapy is a type of alternative medicine and is recognized as one of the oldest methods of healing, with references in medical texts nearly 4,000 years old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health Interview Survey, 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Massage therapy, when performed by a Licensed Massage Therapist, is a safe and effective option for managing pain.

 

Throughout the years research continues to support the health benefits of massage therapy for pain relief. Here we explore five painful conditions and the health benefits of massage therapy for pain relief, according to research complied by the American Massage Therapy Association (4):

 

• Massage therapy can help decrease low-back pain, which is the second most common neurological ailment in the U.S. 
• Massage can be beneficial as an integrative treatment plan for those with fibromyalgia syndrome by relieving pain and stiffness. 
• Research shows massage therapy can significantly reduce post-operative pain and muscular tension in patients recovering from surgery. 
• According to the Mayo Clinic, one in three patients undergoing cancer treatment experiences cancer-related pain. Research shows that massage therapy can relieve cancer-related pain, while improving health-related quality of life for cancer patients. 
• Regular Swedish massage can reduce osteoarthritis pain and massage therapy for rheumatoid arthritis can help decrease pain, improve grip and range of motion in wrists and large upper joints in adults. 

Cupping

Cupping is commonly done along with massage therapy and targets areas of the back or the neck in the body. Cupping as an alternative medicine dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures. Popular in Western medicine today, modern cupping therapy involves a therapist strategically placing special cups on the skin, creating a vacuum inside the cup and suction on the cupped skin.

 

Cupping is often recommended for patients who suffer from chronic and acute muscular and joint pain. Cupping has many health benefits and is widely used to relieve muscle pain or injury, headaches and inflammation. Health conditions cupping therapy can help with to reduce and relieve pain include rheumatic diseases such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, cervical spondylosis, migraines, back pain and neck pain. (5)

 

Float Therapy, Massage and Cupping alternative therapies are offered at Float Euphoria, a locally-owned wellness spa and alternative healthcare provider in theTri-Cities. Learn more about these alternative therapies for pain management online at floateuphoria.com, visit Float Euphoria at 3221 W Kennewick Ave or call/text (509) 940-1888.

It is recommended to consult your doctor or health care provider prior to alternative therapy.

 

Sources:

(1) Kjellgren, Sundequist, Norland, Archer; Pain Research and Management, Vol 6, No 4, Winter 2001

(2) Bood, Sundequist, Kjellgren, Nordstrom, and Norlander; Pain Research and Management, Vol 10, No 4, Winter 2005

(3) Fine,T.H., Turner J.W.; Health and Clinical Psychology, 1985

(4) Massage as an Alternative to Opioids. Retrieved from: https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/alternative-to-opioids/ 

(5) WebMD/Cupping Therapy. (2018) Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/ cupping-therapy#1 

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