scholarly journals Treating Stress-Related Pain with the Flotation Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique: Are There Differences between Women and Men?

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Å Bood ◽  
Anette Kjellgren ◽  
Torsten Norlander
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Environmental Stimulation ◽  
Restricted Environmental Stimulation ◽  
First Time ◽  
Stimulation Technique ◽  
Experimentally Induced

The aim of the present study was to explore, for the first time, sex differences among patients diagnosed with stress-related pain before and after flotation restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) treatment, delivered 12 times during seven weeks. The present study included 88 patients (69 women, 19 men) from three different studies (post hoc analysis). They had been diagnosed by a physician as having chronic stress-related muscle tension pain. The analyses indicated that the flotation-REST treatment had beneficial effects on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality and pain and that there were few sex differences. Women were more depressed than men before treatment, but after treatment there was no difference between sexes. However, there was a sex difference in the ability to endure experimentally induced pain, suggesting that men exhibited greater endurance both before and after the flotation-REST treatment. The results also showed, for the first time, that both sexes improved their ability to endure experimentally induced pain (higher scores for upper pain threshold) following the successful flotation-REST pain treatment.

scholarly journals Effects of Flotation-Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique on Stress-Related Muscle Pain: What Makes the Difference in Therapy - Attention-Placebo or the Relaxation Response?

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven A Bood ◽  
Ulf Sundequist ◽  
Anette Kjellgren ◽  
Gun Nordstrom ◽  
Torsten Norlander
Keyword(s):  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Positive Affectivity ◽  
Pain Anxiety ◽  
Muscular Pain ◽  
Environmental Stimulation ◽  
Restricted Environmental Stimulation ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Stimulation Technique

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential effects of attention-placebo on flotation tank therapy. Flotation-restricted environmental stimulation technique is a method whereby an individual lies in a floating tank and all stimuli are reduced to a minimum.METHODS: Thirty-two patients were diagnosed as having stress-related muscular pain. In addition, 16 of the participants had received the diagnosis of burnout depression. The patients were treated with flotation-restricted environmental stimulation technique for six weeks. One-half of the patients were also given special attention for 12 weeks (high attention), while the remainder received attention for only six weeks (normal attention).RESULTS: The participants exhibited lowered blood pressure, reduced pain, anxiety, depression, stress and negative affectivity, as well as increased optimism, energy and positive affectivity. The results were largely unaffected by the degree of attention-placebo or diagnosis.CONCLUSION: It was concluded that flotation therapy is an effective, noninvasive method for treating stress-related pain, and that the method is not more affected by placebo than by other methods currently used in pain treatment. The treatment of both burnout depression and pain related to muscle tension constitutes a major challenge for the patient as well as the care provider, an area in which great gains can be made if the treatment is effective. Flotation therapy may constitute an integral part of such treatment.

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