From Pain Alleviation To Relaxation, Some Are Floating Their Way To Relief

TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — Flotation therapy is offering a wide-range of benefits for some who've experienced everything from pain relief to a better night's sleep.

Tina Gukasyan, co-owner of the new Float Clinic in Torrance, says people come in for relief from physical pain while others say floating is therapeutic for the mind and body.

Before stepping into the tank, floaters take a shower to cleanse the body and, with their earplugs intact to keep the salt and noise out, they begin to float.

As CBS2's Lisa Sigell reports, the secret is 12 inches of water heated to skin and room temperature and 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt.

"It is magnesium sulfate. It relaxes your nerves. Relaxes your muscles. A lot of people are magnesium deficient. The benefits that people feel from their experience has to do with the absorption of those minerals," Gukasyan said.

Sensory deprivation in the form of no light or sound allows the mind to enter a deep state of relaxation and gravity reduction by 80 percent allows the muscles and joints to take time off.

"The sensation of floating, you can find in the Dead Sea, the only body of water that is dense enough where you just lay back and it supports you," Gukasyan said. "Decades of studies show floating can affect your mind in a profound way."

Floating has been around for a long time. In fact, as Sigell reports, it was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s and is making a big comeback.

Studies show it can improve circulation, performance and focus.

For those who can't sleep, Andy Hnilo, a model and creator of Alitura products, says "magnesium is incredible for sleeping. I would go home and be so relaxed." Years ago, Hnilo was in a serious accident and calls floating "unbelievable."

It costs less than $50 for 90 minutes, and many floaters say it's given them relief they haven't experienced before.

"There's no amount of antidepressants or pain medication that can replace this," said Christy Gardner, another floater.

With packages, floats can cost as little as $35 for 90 minutes. For more information about the Float Clinic, click here.