What Is Float Therapy

 

MIND & BODY

What Is Float Therapy—And Does It Work?

Floating in a sensory deprivation tank reduces stimuli, possibly helping you relax.

 Medically reviewed by Kathleen Daly, MD

Some evidence suggests that float therapy, or sensory deprivation tank therapy, alleviates minor aches and pains, improves circulation, and reduces anxiety and stress. Still, there’s a lack of research on whether it’s effective or safe.

Float therapy, which involves floating in a sensory deprivation tank and minimizing stimuli, might be a relaxing experience. Here’s all you need to know about float therapy—including how it works, its possible benefits, and what to expect.

Pregnant woman in float therapy

What Is Float Therapy?

Float therapy involves "floating" in a water-filled sensory deprivation tank, known as a floatation or isolation tank. The goal of float therapy is to calm the mind and the body. REST is at the root of floatation therapy's efficacy. It stands for "restricted environmental stimulation therapy."

Sensory-deprivation tank therapy cuts out outside stimuli like fluctuations in:

●Light

●Sound

●Temperature **( See Note below)

The darkened silence might help calm and quiet your mind, possibly relieving anxiety and stress. 

 Some evidence suggests that you become more aware of your breathing and heartbeat and your ability to control them during float therapy. As a result, you relax, which reduces anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate.

How It Might Affect the Brain 🧠 

A study published in 2021 noted that no studies at that time had tested the effects of float therapy on the brain. Sensory deprivation tank therapy might alleviate anxiety and stress in some people by reducing stimuli. Still, the researchers stated that there's a lack of evidence about the impact of reduced motor and sensory stimulation on the brain.

Benefits of Float Therapy

There's a lack of evidence to support float therapy's effects on mental health. More research is needed to understand how flotation therapy affects overall health, especially if used long-term.

Still, some evidence suggests that sensory deprivation tank therapy may offer benefits, such as:

●Helps alleviates headaches

●Improves sleep quality

●May release muscle pain and tension

●Might reduce depression symptoms

●Reduces blood pressure and heart rate

●Relieves anxiety and stress

A study published in 2018 found that people with anxiety- and stress-related disorders said their depression symptoms and pain, muscle tension, and stress levels reduced after a one-hour float therapy session. The participants reported increased feelings of happiness, relaxation, and overall well-being.

What To Expect From a Float Therapy Session

Warm water saturated with Epsom salt fills the tank, which gives the water buoyancy, allowing you to float effortlessly. The salty water is heated to match your body temperature. 

You will wear a swimsuit and wax earplugs to reduce sound. The lights will be dimmed in the room with the sensory deprivation tank. You can keep the lid on the tank open, slightly closed, or completely shut once inside.

Here are some tips for your first float therapy session:

Avoid touching your face when you begin your float therapy session. The salt may irritate your eyes or get in your nose.

Breathe deeply from your diaphragm.

Do your best to return your focus to your breath if you become nervous or anxious during the float therapy session.

Find a comfortable, still position and focus on breathing slowly and intentionally.

Use mindfulness techniques to observe any fearful thoughts that may pop up while in the sensory deprivation tank. Allow them to float away.

Sensory deprivation tank therapy sessions typically last around one hour. Some flat therapy practices suggest longer sessions of 90 minutes or more.

Disadvantages of Float Therapy

Sensory deprivation tank therapy is generally safe, but more research must be done to understand the risks entirely. Some evidence suggests that some people might have hallucinations while inside a sensory deprivation tank. Hallucination may worsen anxiety and cause paranoia in some people.

Float therapy may also increase the risk of skin rashes. For example, Epsom salt may cause skin irritation, redness, and swelling.

 Infection outbreaks have occurred in sensory deprivation tanks, though it's rare. Harmful bacteria may infect the tank if people poorly clean and inspect the device.

Who Should Avoid It

Consider talking with a healthcare provider about the benefits and possible risks of float therapy if you have the following:

●Claustrophobia: Being in a sensory deprivation tank might trigger an extreme fear of enclosed spaces.

●Epilepsy: There may be injury risks if someone were to have a seizure while in the sensory deprivation tank.

●Hypotension (low blood pressure): Float therapy can decrease blood pressure. People with low blood pressure might consider speaking with a healthcare provider before trying float therapy.  

●Infections and open sores: Infection-causing microbes spread easily in warm, wet environments, such as a sensory deprivation tank. Cover open wounds or wait until they heal to avoid contracting and spreading infections.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost of a one-hour float therapy session will depend on your location and whether you have a spa membership. You may pay anywhere from $50 to $100 per session. Keep in mind that health insurance companies do not typically cover the cost of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches, such as sensory-deprivation tank therapy.

 

A Quick Review 

Float therapy might reduce anxiety and stress and enhance happiness and well-being. You might use float therapy to supplement other tools, such as mental health counseling or medication.

There's limited research on the efficacy and safety of sensory-deprivation tank therapy so it's important to consider the possible benefits and risks. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have claustrophobia, epilepsy, low blood pressure, or other health conditions before trying float therapy. 

Watch TED talk on float therapy by Dr.

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** Note : 

Normal body temperature range

Most people probably grew up being told a body’s normal temperature was 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (or 37 degrees Celsius). That widely accepted number originated from a study done in the mid-1800s.

But newer studies suggest the average person today actually runs a little cooler than that — somewhere between 97.5 F (36.4 C) and 97.9 F (36.6 C).

So, which number is correct? Well, probably all of them, says Dr. Ford. The truth is that your body temperature can move up and down and all around — though, it usually stays within a certain window.

“Typically, anything in the range of 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit is considered normal,” he says. “But there are times when a perfectly healthy person might have a body temperature that’s slightly higher or slightly lower than that.”

Age and average body temperature

Your “normal” body temperature changes throughout your life. It often rises from childhood into adulthood before dipping during the later years of life. By stages, it looks like this:

For younger children

The typical body temperature range for children between birth and 10 years old goes from 95.9 F (35.5 C) to 99.5 F (37.5 C). This would be a temperature measured through an oral reading.

For adults and older children

The typical body temperature range for people ages 11 to 65 is 97.6 F (36.4 C) to 99.6 F (37.6 C).

For older adults

The typical body temperature range for people older than 65 is 96.4 F (35.8 C) to 98.5 F (36.9 C).

What makes your body temperature rise?

A temperature that’s higher than 100.4 F (or 38 C) is considered a fever, and it’s usually something you should bring to your doctor’s attention — especially if it lingers for more than two days, Dr. Ford says.

Oftentimes, a fever is your body’s reaction to an infection or virus (like influenza). A fever itself doesn’t require any specific treatment, other than trying to bring the temperature down for your comfort.

Persistent low-grade or high-grade fevers could signal that something else is going on in your body. A number of medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism and other endocrine disorders, can raise your body’s core temperature.

As for that gray area between a fever and the high end of a healthy temperature?

“We generally call this a ‘low-grade’ temperature,” Dr. Donald Ford explains. “It’s certainly something to watch, but it’s hard to know the significance of this.”

Fevers in children

Young kids generally tend to push thermometer readings higher than adults. Their bodies haven’t yet mastered the art of regulating their body temperature, so they’re also more likely to spike fevers — and severe ones, at that.

“You may see a child that goes up to 103, 104, 105 degrees,” Dr. Ford says. “We recommend acetaminophen to try to prevent a rapid spike in temperature, which can induce some other problems.”

If your child’s fever doesn’t come down with fever reducers, or if an infant younger than 3 months develops a fever, call your pediatrician.

Is a low body temperature bad?

Studies show that core body temperature decreases with age. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, can also slow down metabolism, which can lead to a drop in body temperature.

If your core body temperature dips down to 95 F (35 C) or lower, that’s considered hypothermia. It’s often caused by exposure to cold weather, but there are other factors that can put you at risk for hypothermia, such as age and certain medications.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency, so call 911 if you suspect you or someone has hypothermia.

The best way to take your temperature

If you take your temperature with three different kinds of thermometers, you might get three different results.

A thermometer that goes under the tongue will likely give you a slightly higher reading than a forehead thermometer or one that goes under your armpit. (But those kinds may be easier to use with young kids.)

Which is the most accurate? That would be a thermometer that goes under your tongue. “Testing an internal temperature is going to be more accurate than testing an external temperature,” states Dr. DONALD Ford.

A rectal thermometer, typically used with young children, would be more accurate for the same reason. A thermometer used rectally should never be used orally to avoid spreading bacteria. Keep thermometers used orally and rectally separate and clearly marked.

When should you take your temperature?

There’s usually a reason why you head to the medicine cabinet to grab your thermometer: Someone in the house doesn’t feel well.

“Consider that the ideal time to take your temperature given the important information the reading provides,” says Dr. Ford. “Temperature is one of your vital signs, and it’s an important indicator of your health.”

But know this: Body temperatures typically run a little lower in the morning and a bit higher in the afternoon. It also can fluctuate with menstrual cycles.

Takeaways on temperature

A healthy body is generally pretty good at keeping its temperature at a comfortable level.

“For example, if you go outside on a very cold day, you will notice that your skin temperature is going to go down but your core temperature inside will stay in the normal range,” explains Dr. Ford.

A part of your brain called the hypothalamus is responsible for this. When you get too cold, it signals your body to preserve heat by shrinking the blood vessels, and to produce heat by shivering. And when you get too hot, it signals your body to make sweat to cool off.

That’s why it’s normal for your temperature to change within a healthy range as you move through your day and your life.

“‘Normal’ is a range, and people shouldn’t get worried if their temperature is varying a little bit within that range,” Dr. DONALD Ford advises. “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything good, bad or otherwise.”