“Shoulder injury relief through floating”, by Marc

Snowboarding accident

felt compelled to write this short blog post based on a recent floatation tank experience.

To set the scene, let me rewind a little…

3 months ago, I fell whilst snowboarding in Bulgaria – something I did a lot of (falling, not so much the snowboarding).  Whilst this didn’t typically cause more than a few bruises (ego included), the particular fall I’m referring to was at about 30mph and over compacted ice and rock.  I was pretty lucky to escape with nothing broken.

Hobbling around Bankso (the resort) I soon realised that one of my shoulders had taken a pretty severe hammering in the fall.  On returning to the UK, it took little time to medically verify the extent of the injury: the dreaded ‘rotator cuff’.

Having had a similar injury some years back, I knew what I was in for.  Months of discomfort and severe pain if I lifted anything awkwardly with said arm.  The advice from a doctor was to adhere to a pattern of ‘RICE’ (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) for the joint.  It should be back to normal within 3 to 6 months I was told.

Now, back to floating…

Completely independently of the accident, I had planned to take a float at the Floatworks in Vauxhall, London.  I’d not floated in the last 10 years or so, and had fond memories of it.  Considering it nothing more than a relaxing indulgence, I’d put it off until very recently.

I have to say though, I was entirely blown away by the impact it had on my shoulder.  After an hour’s float, I walked out feeling strangely light and relaxed.  I’m pretty sure I’d fallen asleep in there – it felt like just 5 to 10 minutes of floating time!

But then suddenly, it hit me.  My shoulder no longer ached, not even slightly!

I was convinced this was just a short-term relief (albeit far more powerful pain relief than even the strongest painkillers I’d found to tackle the last 3 months of pain).  But no, I spent the rest of the day, and night, completely pain-free!  Amazing.

I can’t claim to have been miraculously cured by the experience.  The ache and pain has returned, although somewhat reduced, after a few days of blissful absence.  But wow, what a joyous respite from the pain that was.  So much so, I’ll be back again in the next few weeks.  If it’s able to relieve the pain entirely for even just a few days, it must surely be doing the shoulder joint some good.

I urge anyone with a similar injury to try the experience.  Many sports injuries take months to properly heal, and the value of even just a few days of pain-free relief is immense.

So, what did I learn from the experience?  Next time I’m snowboarding, I’ll make sure to save a small percentage of the holiday budget for a session of floats when I’m back.  If you’re as bad at snowboarding as me, you should seriously consider it too.

Marc

Sign up to get the inside scoop!

Receive wonderful floatation-related communications and special offers.

You have Successfully Subscribed!