FLOAT THERAPY

Its been a busy week. The Herbert Street household got a dog and coincidentally The Australian Senate also got a dog . . . thanks Queensland. But I'm not here for politics or to discuss how I pick up poop on the regular. 

I was contemplating compiling all of the ways in which I’ve been trying to get on top of my reoccurring endometriosis but I figured I would focus on one at a time just so I could see which one might actually be working and which definitely weren’t. So I'm on a bit of a tight schedule as time isn't exactly on my side and every month I get my period I think that this could be the one that makes a permanent mark, both figuratively and literally, on my uterus and fertility and ends up screwing up my whole life plan. But the 'solution' seems just as bad, maybe not in the long run but in the near future. You see, with hormonal therapy, it not only mimics menopause but also causes osteoporosis, depression, anxiety and insomnia. So whats the plus? I get to put my body on hold as to not cause any more damage to my reproductive organs with hopes that it will increase my chances of having children.

But I don't really want to think about making that decision right now, so i'll put that one on the back burner. For now, I just want to focus purely on how I can reduce as much pain as possible but also as naturally as possible- 'cause heavy painkillers are just not sustainable. 

I’ve been trying things like reducing red meat intake (this didn’t last long, in fact I’m on my way to get a burger as we speak), yoga, gravitational floating, reducing sugar intake (surprisingly all food related trials are failing miserably), no alcohol, heaps of alcohol, quitting smoking (that’s just an all round good idea), sleeping in, getting up ridiculously early, running, walking, standing still- you name it and I’m recording my thoughts, feelings and emotional response according to my uterus.

I will say that its very bloody obvious what works and what doesn’t just by looking at my list. I mean, obviously changing up your diet, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol intake works wonders for your overall health, but the thing with that is, I’m just not very good at maintaining it. I’m one of those all or nothing kinda gals. I either give up my social life forever and start a fitness blog or I sleep till noon and eat cold pizza for breakfast.

Which brings me to my most successful trial so far. Floating. I’ve got awful posture as is, which required monthly visits to a OT to sort out, so I was VERY skeptical that floating would be beneficial. The thing you have to remember is that when my back goes out its usually due to my pelvis. What also affects my pelvis is Endo pain. So it’s a double whammy. It means I struggle to walk, sleep and move without pain. 

So fast forward a few weeks after my second Endo surgery, I was contacted by Gravity Float to come in and have a few sessions. As a disclaimer I will say that these sessions were provided at no cost and in return I took a few pod selfies. Though it was actually my idea to create a post in relation to its benefits for back and pelvis pain if I saw benefits. So pretty much if I hated it, I wouldn’t be here. 

Long story short, I didn’t hate it, not even a little. I saw massive improvements in my lower back pain, shoulder and neck. Though the biggest improvement I saw was reducing period pain, cramps and nausea related to endometrioses. I timed it so that I had two sessions a few days before I got my period and one session as I was ovulating, which are usually the two worst times of the month for pain. I’m not saying it cured my pain completely but I am saying that for 2-3 days after I didn’t need to take heavy painkiller, come to think of it I didn’t need to take painkillers at all. Also if reducing pain wasn’t enough, I also saw huge improvements in bloating and fluid retention.

One thing I will say, if you are prone to blackouts during your period or you get light headed and dizzy, it’s so important to have something to eat before hand. I did have a slight mishap in the shower about an hr after (at home, not at Gravity Float), but I would say this was more related to me not eating for that morning and being lightheaded from my period.

To get into the nitty gritty of it all, for anyone that is actually wanting to try out a gravity float its pretty much like a giant bath with a lid and a whole lot of Epsom salts to make you float. You will be taken to your own private room complete with a capsule (the gravity bath), a shower, soap, shampoo, conditioner, makeup wipes, towel and ear plugs. The whole ‘private room’ thing is a plus, because you have to strip down completely naked, my selfies obviously show me in my bathing suit because, well duh, but you are expected to float naked.  Before you even think about floating you have to put in your earplugs first, shower and use their special soap provided and wash your hair. There is music playing during this time to help you time how long you have- preferably you make it to the capsule well and truly before the music ends. So when you finally make it to the bath, you’ll notice when you step in that the water has a tiny bit of resistance and when you sit down you’ll begin to float, just go with it. Then get in a comfy position, I like my arms above my head, relax, turn the lights off and take a nap. What ever you do, DO NOT get the water in your eye. Its like getting shampoo in your eyes in the shower except its completely dark, there is a lid above you, you cant sit up properly and all of a sudden that one scary movie you watched when you were 13 (Final Destination) pops into your head and you’re only playing a supporting role (which means your probably dead). But in all seriousness there is a light switch in the tub so its all good, just turn that on and spray your eye with the fresh water bottle they provide.

And there you have it, my first (and most positive) trial towards a pain free life without relying solely on painkillers.  If you were interested in checking out the Gravity Floatation Centre I went to in Armadale (they also have one for the North side guys in Northcote) details are below; 

GRAVITY FLOATATION CENTRE 

WEB: http://www.gravityfloat.com.au/

ADDRESS:
1227 High StreetArmadale, VIC 3143

PHONE: (03) 8525 0162