Opioids, Chronic Pain and Floatation Therapy

Pain. It can be consuming, frustrating, debilitating, distracting, yet always subjective to the individual experiencing it.  Chronic pain is of epidemic proportions and is a major cause of disability.  Until recently, pain was treated like a fifth vital sign. Blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, and…pain?  

Problems arise in treating pain when there is no objective measure measurement. There is no thermometer to gauge how you are personally sensing that disc herniation, rib fracture, headache or inflammatory bowel disease.  Therein lies the undercurrent of how and why medical methods of treating chronic pain have both changed over the years and led to an opioid crisis.  

This is only complicated by the pharmaceutical industry who keeps pushing opioids and simultaneously disguising the addictive nature of them. For example, in February 2018, the associated press cited that Purdue Pharmaceutical will stop “actively marketing” Oxycontin to physicians. In March 2018, The Washington Post noted that the city of Alexandria, Virginia is suing sellers of prescription painkillers stating that “drug addiction has killed scores of residents and overwhelmed city services”. 

The opioid crisis has forced pain management professionals to consider alternative methods to manage or co-manage serial mind and body implications of chronic pain.   The McShin Foundation in Richmond, Virginia is one shining example of organizations seeking to find collaborative and effective ways to manage pain and recovery from opioid addiction.  Their programs view addiction, recovery and non-narcotic pain treatment with an equation involving a multitude of mind and body therapies.  

Floatation therapy is emerging as a valid, effective and adjunctive means for managing chronic pain in lieu of medication.  Due to the profound effects that floatation therapy has on decreasing inflammation, stress and anxiety, while increasing quality of sleep and musculoskeletal recovery, it is positively enabling for those suffering the mind and body effects of chronic pain.

As a result of positive outcomes in a series of recent studies at The Float Zone in Richmond, VA, a case study was conducted with a recovering opioid user as to the effects of floatation therapy and chronic pain.  The objective of this case study was to provide a concrete example of the positive effects of floatation therapy upon specific physical and emotional aspects related to an individual recovering from opiate addiction and who has been in recovery for 18 months.    

Click to read the Case Study or contact the author, Dr. David Berv, for more information on floating and chronic pain.

To learn more about other pain case studies, visit our Case Study results page.  

This article originally appeared on myfloatzone.com and was written by Dave Berv.

How Sensory Deprivation Float Tanks Deepen Your Meditation

I was first drawn to float tanks by stories I’d heard that sounded like mind-altering drug trips except the people telling them were completely sober. They were, quite simply, just floating on water. I had to try it and figure out for myself what made it a life-changing experience for so many.

Why were float tanks invented?

The flotation tanks, which are also called isolation or sensory deprivation tanks, were created in the 1950s by Dr. John C. Lilly. He was a neuroscientist and psychoanalyst with interests in philosophy and invention. He was deeply passionate about exploring human consciousness, particularly regarding what we could access within ourselves when we completely tune out outside stimuli.

He wanted to know who we are when we are completely free of the noise, sensations, and impositions of the outside world. Who are we when all we are aware of is our inner self?

This might sound like something you could answer through meditation, and I am a big proponent of meditation. However, as someone who meditates daily, I believe the isolation tank takes us on a journey far different from any meditation.

What is sensory deprivation, exactly?

It is a form of meditation but in a way more akin to yoga in that it is as much physical as it is mental. Float tanks interact directly with your body, and some even feel as if they become one with the water, which can create a feeling of being infinite. The water is warmed to 98 degrees, which is the same as body temperature. Each tank has around 1,000 pounds of salt in it, which ensures all people, of all shapes and sizes, will float on this buoyant water.

I feel completely held and taken care of. This mental release is a large part of what makes the isolation tank so powerful.

Floating on a cushion of saltwater for an hour counteracts the pressure of gravity. Your joints, tissues, and muscles will feel as if you’ve just received a superb massage, your spine will thank you, and the Epsom salt will do wonders for your skin and circulation.

The physical sensation of floating connects us right into the mental feelings of surrender and release. It’s one of the most comforting sensations I’ve ever felt. It’s as if I am being held in my own little cushion of support, and whatever it is that bothers me can safely be let go. I feel completely held and taken care of. This mental release is a large part of what makes the isolation tank so powerful.

Here's what happened when I developed a regular sensory deprivation practice.

Once you are comfortable with the sensation of floating (you may not reach this on your first time), you will gently ease into deeper and deeper levels of surrender and letting go. At some point, you will naturally lose track of time. You will slowly forget where you are, maybe even who you are. You will fall into your subconscious, but you will still be awake, allowing you to forge a connection with all of the power that resides there. The more times you go to the tank, the more you build and strengthen that bridge between your subconscious and conscious.

As a result, you may suddenly start being able to recall your dreams. You may have bursts of insight while in the tank. You may find your creativity at work heightens to new levels. You might also find yourself becoming more aware of how you react to life, what triggers you, and feel yourself taking greater control over what used to feel like out-of-control emotions.

Are there any downsides to float tanks?

Now that I’ve described a few of the possible benefits, you might be wondering why everyone isn't running out to try it. I suspect it's because all of this is done in an enclosed tank, in complete darkness. Simply envisioning closing the lid of a pod and sealing yourself in can trigger claustrophobia for some.

In my experience, after I’ve suggested someone go, they find that the anticipation was far bigger than the actual experience. Once inside it’s easier to understand how safe and serene it is. Each tank is in its own room, giving each person space to take things at their own speed. Most float spas have a shower in the room, so that you can shower before and after in privacy. The whole experience is designed to induce relaxation.

What can I expect on my first time?

Professional float spas have speakers built into the tank, and they will play soothing music for the first 10 minutes. They also have a light inside, and you can keep it on as long as you like—even the whole time. You don’t even have to close the door—it’s your experience and all up to you. If you keep the light on and the door open, you will not go as deep into that space of letting go. But that’s OK because this type of therapy is still new, and the fact that you are brave enough to be one of its first explorers is worth celebrating.

Most people say that once they close the door and the light goes off the feeling of the pod goes away. They no longer feel closed in but instead feel as if everything has opened up wider than ever before. Some even feel as if they then expand and connect with the whole Universe.

After dozens of trips to the float spa, I have found I can surrender and let go of things that used to hold me in an iron grip. I have gotten clarity on problems I was so deeply entangled in I couldn’t see any possible solution. And on one particularly wild trip, I had an out-of-body experience and a vision like I’ve never had before.

If this intrigues you, I hope you consider trying it out yourself. Float spas are opening with more frequency now, and it’s possible there’s one near you, waiting to take you on an adventure to your deepest resources of love, healing, and cosmic connection.

This article originally appeared on mindbodygreen.com and was written by Melissa Field,

The Power of Floating

Imagine being a 24-year-old man, naked and floating in a pod, inducing complete sensory deprivation and being immersed in what I can only describe as adult sized womb. Sound terrifying? Well, today I did just that, but alas, it was not scary in the slightest and instead it ending up being both relaxing and transformative.

To my surprise, I learnt that floatation therapy has been around for around 60 years. It is yet however, to become mainstream. I for one, knew nothing about it.

A few weeks back, I was browsing the web looking for something interesting and new that a friend and I could try out. This is when I came across ‘Float Works’ in Vauxhall, London. Intrigued, I booked us one ‘float’.

I arrived at 9 am and was overcome by a sense of tranquillity. The receptionist positively oozed zen, making my friend and I feel at ease; this was particularly reassuring when trying something so new and unusual.

He showed each of us to our private room where a large white pod filled with salt water greeted me. He explained its features and left us to shower and hop in. Normally I would be nervous, but the staff were so friendly and positive that any residual nerves evaporated.

I took off my clothes and lay down in the water. I felt the tension in my body melt away. Turning the pod’s lights off, I was lost in complete darkness, left to focus on my own thoughts for a full hour.

After the fifteen minutes of quiet music (to ‘ease you in’) I lost any sense of time. I began to fade in and out of active thought, managing in the main to clear my mind. The water, being perfect room temperature, meant that I wasn’t able to tell which parts of me were in the water and which were out. I focused on my breath and could hear only my heartbeat; I had completely succumbed to the pod.

The hour was up in what felt like minutes. Before entering, I was convinced that this whole process might drag on, but instead I was shocked at how quickly the time flew!

After the float, I felt happier, lighter and rejuvenated. I made my way up to the ‘relaxation room’ and poured myself a complementary herbal tea, and pondered the immense and positive impact of the float. I am a massage addict, but let me tell you, this float session was more wellness inducing than any massage I have ever received. It was special absolutely worth the £50 price tag.

I’m giving this 5/5 on the happiness scale.

This article originally appeared on huffingtonpost and was written by Nader Dehdasht

Autism and REST Float Therapy

Float Therapy is being noted as a positive therapy for people with Autism, as well as a form of psychological therapy. This is due to the reduced stimulation and low sensory input required by the brain. The amount of information that has to be received, monitored and processed is significantly reduced in a sensory deprivation tank (float tank) and is being used as treatment to regulate the biochemistry of the brain and nervous system.

Q: What does Floatation REST stand for?

A: REST was an acronym coined by the research team of Dr. Peter Suedfeld and Dr. Roderick Borrie. It has two usages: Dr. Suedfeld preferred Restricted Environmental Stimulus Technique while Dr. Borrie preferred Reduced Environmental Stress Therapy, a term which is easier for laymen to understand and speaks more to the practical applications of floatation therapy.

REST as a Treatment for Children with Autism

Several studies suggest that average levels of stimulation may be too high for autistic children (C. Hutt, S. Hutt, Lee, & Ounsted, 1964; Margolies, 1977; Schechter, Shurley, Toussieng, & Maier, 1969; Suedfeld & Schwartz, 1983). Alternatively, others attribute the problem to a deprivation of sensory input (Moore & Shiek, 1971; Williams & Harper, 1974). Theories and evidence from clinical observations converge on a characterization of autism as an abnormal reaction to environmental stimuli or a dysfunction in the ability to adequately process average levels of stimuli (American Psychiatric Association, 1987; Fein, Waterhouse, Lucci, & Snyder, 1985; Ornitz & Ritvo, 1976; Wing & Gould, 1979). Bartak, Rutter, and Cox (1975) have shown that individuals with autism have limited or restricted interactions. Theories consistent with this evidence suggest that exposure to average levels of stimuli results in a cognitive processing breakdown and an abnormal (restrictive) response to the environment (e.g., Hermelin, 1976; Rutter, 1983; Shah & Wing, 1986). If these theories are correct, one would expect a reduction in the amount of stimuli these individuals are required to process to result in a reduction of autistic symptoms and a desire for stimulation.

Restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children.

This study explored the usefulness of 48 hours of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children. In order to provide quantified objective measures for evaluating the effects of this treatment, a battery of psychological tests was developed which would be useful and practical for the assessment of these children in regular diagnostic settings. Several positive changes in learning, social and play behavior, and cognitive functioning were noted.