Causes of Float Related Neck Tension – DSP 122

The good news is that it doesn’t seem to happen after the first float, the bad news is we’re not really sure why it happens, but we have some theories. This even happened to Ashkahn the first time he floated, so this is an issue very personal to his heart.

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Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)

Graham: Today’s question is, “why, for some, does their neck hurt while floating? I’m guessing it’s something about tension leaving the body in that area.” That’s the question.

Ashkahn: So, neck tension. I feel like it’s more than just some. I think it’s a pretty common thing that happens to people during their first float, specifically.

Graham: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

Ashkahn: It happened to me during my first float.

Graham: I was fine.

Ashkahn: What, it didn’t happen to you?

Graham: I was kind of okay.

Ashkahn: Oh, really? Your first float, you didn’t have any neck tension?

Graham: I mean, not more so than I do regularly, standing up.

Ashkahn: Really? Me, for the whole first 30 minutes or so, of my very first float was all about trying to understand how to get my neck from not feeling like I was not holding my head up.

Graham: Oh, interesting. Well, I have a lot of neck tension all the time, so I think I’m just constantly working through it, you know? But no, it felt better after my first float. No worries.

Ashkahn: Well, I mean, it went away. Okay, so here’s what I think is happening. I think that when you first go into the float tank, it can be kind of unusual to totally trust the actual liquid, and totally let go of your head, and really just kind of let it support you, and so that, at the beginning, you’re kind of slightly holding your head up.

Graham: ‘Cause you’re used to supporting your head in water, so that you don’t drown, right?

Ashkahn: Yeah.

Graham: It’s a very natural, human instinct to do this.

Ashkahn: And that’s what I noticed. I was feeling tension from very subtly having to keep my head up, kind of like doing the beginning of a sit-up, for 20 straight minutes. And I could just feel, in my neck, and I just had to really let go, bring my arms above my head, and kind of focus on totally relaxing back in. And I even found that specifically, if I pushed my head back, that it would kind of trigger my body to feel what it actually felt like to not be holding my head up, and that kind of allowed me to let go of those muscles.

Graham: That’s funny, that’s what I still do to relax my neck inside the float tank.

Ashkahn: Push your head back?

Graham: Yeah, totally. Just push it down a little further and then let the water buoy it up to its natural place. Yeah, and it’s like my body can understand where it’s supposed to be held, that way.

Ashkahn: Yeah, and we say that during our intro speeches, because I think it’s just a really common first float thing.

Graham: Do like Graham did, not like Ashkahn, during your first float.

Ashkahn: And the interesting thing is, if people do feel it, I feel like almost no matter what, it will go away within 30 minutes or so. If you’re doing a lot better at it, it might go away faster. If you’re not, eventually you just give up, and you can’t hold your head up for that long, and inevitably kind of forcibly relax into it. So, it’s kind of like a small, first float hurdle.

Or, at least that’s what I thought, and that’s what I’ve heard a lot of customers say, and stuff like that. I always hear it’s a very common first float experience, and I don’t really hear of it too much afterwards. I haven’t heard of a ton of people saying they continuously get neck tension in there. Or definitely not anywhere the same levels as what it’s like for first time floaters.

Graham: Yeah. I 100% agree with that. I think that’s one of those getting used to this weird new salty environment that you’re in. It’s just a little different than what your body’s used to experiencing, so, like one of the closest things to training, what you have to do in order to have a good float, you know?

Ashkahn: And this is all just a theory, I guess. That’s my guess as to why people get neck tension, and that’s mostly because of what it felt like to me, is that you’re just holding your head up in there.

Graham: And that seems to really be what customers say, too. This is our very standard walkthrough introduction, saying, “Oh, by the way, you may experience some neck tension in there. So a lot of people, especially during their first time, feel like things are sorer than usual, and often, we feel like that’s just because you’re not relaxing in your float. And we have this neck pillow here, if you wanna use it.” Right?

At least on my walkthroughs, I’ll always say that I actually kind of recommend trying to not use the neck pillow, even if you feel some neck tension there, ’cause often, you actually do need to relax into it, and something will kind of unwind in there. And that it’s a lot like getting a massage. Often, when you’re getting a massage, you’ll feel some pain and tension as the masseuse is kind of working through things, then you get out and you’re like, “Oh, I guess I actually worked through some stuff when I was in there.”

And so, I feel like it’s similar for neck tension that I still experience when I’m in the float tank. Not because of my neck being held up artificially by my body, but just because you start being aware of all of your aches and bodily uncomfortablenesses, if that’s a word, when you’re floating.

So, for me, yeah, it’s like I become aware of it, and then I kind of relax through it, and in that sense, it’s still a little like a massage, even several hundred floats in.

Ashkahn: Yeah. And I think it’s a very common place to hold tension, shoulders and neck. Especially nowadays, where people do a lot of computer stuff.

Graham: Yeah, for sure.

Ashkahn: It’s just keeping tension in your shoulders, and that kind of general part of your body is, I think, a very typical place that it goes for people.

Graham: Yeah, but see, as we’ve been progressing through this podcast, Ashkahn, I are just stretching.

Ashkahn: Standing up, sort of dropping your shoulders-

Graham: Posture is getting better and better, yeah, yeah. Even just talking. You’ll notice this too when you do walkthroughs, as a little aside, whenever I’m talking about the neck tension part, I notice the people that I’m giving the walkthrough to, I’ll start standing up a little straighter, and they’re like, “Oh, yeah, you’re right, my posture should be a little better.”

Ashkahn: So, there you go. That’s our theory.

Graham: And if you have any other questions, or theories of your own you wanna toss our way, go to floattanksolutions.com/podcast.

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