Do you have pain and have wondered about alternatives?

Have you been dealing with anxiety or depression and you would like to find non-medicinal ways of managing it?

Is stress causing you to feel less relaxed and happy with your present situation? Well, if any of these apply to you or you have just been curious about other options you have probably been thinking about doing some research and searching for what is available. Maybe a friend raved about it and you are wondering what the big deal is. Well, if any of this applies to you, you may have heard of any of the following: saltwater flotation, cryotherapy, and massage therapy.

Which one is better for you?

That depends on what you are you looking for and what you want to get out of it.

Is it pain relief?

Help with relaxing in order to sleep better?

How about temporary cessation of aches and pains?

First, there is massage therapy. Therapeutic massage sessions can be as short 15-30 minutes and the results vary based on the skill of the practitioner, duration, and the type of massage technique applied based on your individual set of circumstances. Massage is advertised as being successful with relieving stress, anxiety, depression, flushing toxins from the body, improving blood circulation, improving sleep quality, and helping reduce inflammation and promoting recovery from injuries.

Next, there is cryotherapy. At a cryotherapy establishment, you will enter the apparatus and stay within it for around 2 minutes at very cold temperatures. Advertisements claim that cryotherapy will aid with sleep, anxiety or depression, pain, help with fat loss, recovery from injury, and more. If you have iced a bruise or area of inflammation, you have probably experienced some relief from discomfort using cold therapy. The major drawback is that it is cold! If you cannot handle cold, this may not be the one for you.

Lastly, there is flotation. Flotation is usually an hour in duration and the participant will take pressure off weight bearing joints by floating suspended across the medium which is salt water. Flotation has been advertised as restorative as hours of sleep and helps with the following: depression, anxiety, stress, muscle discomfort, sleep issues, and more.

Which is better for pain relief?

In terms of pain relief, if you want a quick alternative to medication, there is cryotherapy. In 2 minutes, you could potentially see relief. Massage therapy and flotation are anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on your needs. Cryotherapy is not permanent and inflammation/pain will return after an indeterminate amount of time.

Which is better for anxiety and depression?

Anxiety and depression symptoms and causes vary. Massage therapy and flotation, based on duration and the process, can incorporate meditation as a component of the overall experience. While having muscles worked on, the massage therapy client can listen to music and meditate while trying not to focus on how anxious or depressed they may feel. During flotation, clients can choose to remove stimuli including noise and light in order to remove outside distractions that may be contributing to their state of mind. By being stateless and disconnected, some people can deeply meditate and experience oneness by not concentrating on outside factors.

Which is better for injury recovery?

Pain is a powerful and important aspect of the injury recovery situation. People often focus on it because of the sensation but can forget about significant factors such as regaining healthy posture, range of motion, and proper alignment. Relaxing and removing pressure on joints can really help some people experiencing acute symptoms.

Which is better for sleep?

It can be difficult to sleep with pain, and it can also be difficult to sleep with anxiety or depression that is not managed. Stress can also be overwhelming if the sufferer does not have successful coping strategies implemented in their actions, behaviors, or thoughts.

Overall, it really depends on you. Some people do not like floating because they get wet and the water has a high salinity in order to generate the buoyancy for the body. Cryotherapy requires being semi-undressed and so can massage. If you look at reviews, some people claim to feel nothing or there was no improvements while other claim dramatic results. There are costs involved naturally as well. Any one of these can be anywhere from ~$50 and up depending on the exact services purchased. If you are considering trying any of these alternatives to medicine, check that the business is licensed for what they do, ask for a tour of the facility, and confirm that the business is in good standing. Best of luck and may your days be well.