Muscle Tension In Pop Culture

If you’re up-to-date with pop-culture, you’ve probably seen the TV show Stranger Things and that episode where Eleven was subjected to a sensory deprivation tank. Additionally, Joe Rogan is trying it, all the hippies are trying it, and now I took a jab at it and now reporting back to you!
Sensory deprivation tank (also known as isolation tank) was initially invented to promote deep-meditative state, out-of-body experience, and a pain-relief treatment. These tanks contain about 280 gallons of water and 900 pounds of Epsom Salt. In other words, the water is super dense—as in, 5x denser than the famous Dead Sea! This floatation tank is lightless and soundproof with the goal to shut-off all five senses as a form to meditate, relax, and have an
out of body experience.
Back in 1954, John C. Lilly examined the effects of sensory deprivation that was later revisited by scientists who later renamed sensory deprivation therapy to Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST). Today, the two most colloquial REST methods are Chamber REST and Flotation REST. Both process involve sensory deprivation shutting all five senses; except, those in Chamber Rest lies in a bed, whereas those in Flotation REST lies in a buoyant liquid. For this experience, I have chosen Flotation REST for a slightly more pizazz experience.
In 2001, scientists investigated whether REST therapy will alleviate muscle tension to those experiencing chronic pain.
They recruited 37 subjects who were suffering from chronic pain, who were then randomly assigned to a control (n=17) or an experimental group (n=20). Those in the experimental group received 9 opportunities to use the flotation-REST techniques over a 3-week period. They found that the most severe perceived pain was drastically reduced, whereas low perceived pain was not impacted at all by floating. Ultimately, they found that such therapy can impact chronic pain suffers temporary pain relief (Kjellgren et al.,
2001).
A more recent study explored the long-term effects of the flotation-REST 4 months after the treatment. They recruited 70 participants (N=70; 54 women and 16 men) who were diagnosed with stress-related pain. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group or a flotation-REST group. Those in the floatation-REST group found a decrease in stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. Conversely, there was an increase found in quality of sleep, optimism, and prolactin (a hormone that plays a vital role in sleep). Despite the overall positive outcomes of this study, researchers called out a few limitations in this study. First, they didn’t follow-up with the control group due to financial constraints. Additionally, the small number of prolactin measurement isn’t sufficient (Bood et al., 2016)
Similar to my other conquests, sensory deprivation tank is still considered an alternative medicine.
However, unlike other pseudoscience-like trend that I’ve tried, floatation therapy appeals to me on a meditation standpoint. Think about it, we’re constantly glued to our phones and busy navigating our day-to-day life, when’s the last time that we consciously shut-off from these distractions? I’m hoping to find myself in this process, and get in-touch with my subconscious. I’m a very anxiety-driven person and I overthink all the minute details of life. I wanted to subject myself where I’m forced to not think and embrace the silence, and distractions of
life.