EFFECTS OF FLOTATION REST (RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULATION TECHNIQUE) ON STRESS RELATED MUSCLE PAIN: ARE 33 FLOTATION SESSIONS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN 12 SESSIONS?

• Published in: Social behavior and personality Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 143 - 156
• Main Authors: Bood, Sven Å., Sundequist, Ulf, Kjellgren, Anette, Nordström, Gun, Norlander, Torsten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: P.O.Box 1539, Palmerston North 4440, New Zealand Scientific Journal Publishers 01-01-2007; Scientific Journal Publishers Ltd
• Subjects: Anxiety; Blood Pressure; Depression (Psychology); Evaluation; Musculoskeletal pain; Negative affect; Pain; Psychological Distress; Psychological Factors; Sleep; Stress related illness; Treatment methods
• ISSN: 0301-2212; 1179-6391
• DOI: 10.2224/sbp.2007.35.2.143

The aim of the study was to investigate whether or not 33 flotation sessions were more effective for stress-related ailments than 12 sessions. Participants were 37 patients, 29 women and 8 men, all diagnosed as having stress-related pain of a muscle tension type. The patients were randomized
to one of two conditions: 12 flotation-REST treatments or 33 flotation-REST treatments. Analyses for subjective pain typically indicated that 12 sessions were enough to get considerable improvements and no further improvements were noticed after 33 sessions. A similar pattern was observed
concerning the stress-related psychological variables: experienced stress, anxiety, depression, negative affectivity, dispositional optimism, and sleep quality. For blood pressure no effects were observed after 12 sessions, but there was a significant lower level for diastolic blood pressure
after 33 sessions. The present study highlighted the importance of finding suitable complementary treatments in order to make further progress after the initial 12 sessions.