Does floating really work?

Does floating really work?

People use floating in many ways and for many reasons, but what does science have to say? 

We’ve analyzed the literature and summarized the scientifically-proven benefits on this page.

For all references to publications, please scroll down.

Stress & Anxiety

Floating has been proven to be an effective preventative tool and recovery method for many forms of stress (4) and anxiety (5). So whether it’s work-related, physical stress or sensory overload, you should give floating a try!

Neck & Back Pain

If you have a desk job where you have to sit for many hours each day, it’s likely that you will have experienced back pain or muscle tension at some point. 53% of Danes (9) suffer from some kind of back pain, and 56% with neck or shoulder pain (10). 

Difficulty Sleeping

The national health profile from 2023 showed that 66% of people experience tiredness (12), with 49% experiencing sleeping difficulties or disorders (13). There are many causes including stress, a dysregulated nervous system, disrupted cortisol levels (this can cause you to wake up during the night) or substance use (caffeine, alcohol, drugs).

Headache & Migraine

Floating can be very helpful for treating tension headaches,  hormone-related headaches or migraines, hypertension headache, post-traumatic headaches (if you’ve had a head injury or a concussion).

Skin Conditions

Perhaps you have heard that people travel to the Dead Sea in Israel to treat their skin conditions – well we have an even higher concentration of salt in our float tanks! There aren’t scientific publications with a focus on glowing skin, but we know from our years of experience and feedback from our guests that it leaves your skin feeling soft and that special “post float glow”

Decades of research behind floatation

Decades of research behind floatation

float studio

Dr John C Lilly pioneered the first float tank designs and early research in the area. Since then there have been hundreds of published studies, where researchers have explored how floatation can help with stress, anxiety, athletic performance, mental clarity, depression, addiction, super learning, creativity, problem-solving, PTSD, anorexia and more. 

The Float Research Collective is an organization that serves as a bridge between science and practice in float therapy. Dedicated to integrating the latest research into their approach, Clinical Float strives to explore and understand the therapeutic benefits of floating on a deeper level. Their work ranges from facilitating clinical studies to sharing valuable knowledge about how floating can be an effective method for stress reduction, pain relief, and mental well-being.

 

Want to delve deeper?

References

References