A new report from Swedish researchers has indicated that the use of flotation tanks can help people with Fibromyalgia. They found that floating in salt water in the large, sound-proof, light-proof tanks lowered the perception of pain felt by participants with Fibro, as well as reducing their levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Sven-Ake Bood of Karlstad University in Sweden explained:

“Relaxing in a weightless state in the silent, warm floating tank activates the body’s own system for recuperation and healing…The stress hormone decreases, as does blood pressure. The findings confirm and reinforce our earlier studies on the effects of relaxing in a floating tank…Through relaxing in floating tanks, people with long-term fibromyalgia, for instance, or depression and anxiety felt substantially better after only twelve treatments.”

22 per cent of study participants treated in the tank for a total of seven weeks said they were completely free of pain. A further 56 per cent showed clear signs of improvement.

Mr Bood concluded that:

“We can also see that a combination of treatment in a floating tank and traditional therapy can be effective”