One new approach that doesn't involve drugs or doctors is becoming increasingly popular: the weighted blankets. It is said to have numerous benefits treating chronic pains, insomnia, stress, anxiety and treating children with disorders like autism and ADHD. These blankets look like regular blankets, but they're filled with beads or pellets to make them heavier, between 5 to 30 pounds. The theory is that the deep pressure you feel from being under all of that weight mimics a therapeutic technique called deep pressure stimulation.
Anxiety
One of the primary uses of a weighted blanket is for the treatment of anxiety and sleeping disorder. Past research has shown that deep pressure stimulation can help reduce autonomic arousal. This arousal is responsible for the symptoms of anxiety, such as increased heart rate. In the study above, the researchers found that using a weighted blanket reduced anxiety in roughly 33 percent of the 32 participants.
ADHD
There are very few studies that examine the use of weighted blankets for ADHD. In one study, researchers explain that weighted vests have been used in ADHD therapy to improve attention and reduce hyperactive movements. The study found promising results for participants who used the weighted vest during a continuous performance test. These participants experienced reductions in falling off task, leaving their seat, and fidgeting.
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Chronic Pain
From back pain to headaches, arthritis to fibromyalgia, we are suffering and missing out on living our most fulfilled lives due to poorly managed, lingering pain. We all have different sources and experiences of our pain. The nagging discomfort of chronic pain can stem from old injuries, posture, habits, medical conditions, overuse, or even stress.
Left untreated, chronic pain can eventually begin to take over our quality of life. To treat chronic pain, many people resort to taking over-the-counter pain relievers daily or seeking out costly surgeries. In some cases, these interventions can be helpful and even necessary. In other cases, however, there are more natural and side-effect-free ways to improve your health and beat pain. One of the options, that many people are turning to eliminate their pain, is the weighted blankets.
One of the recommended at-home treatments for chronic pain is massage therapy.
Researchers found that starting with light pressure, gradually increasing to moderate pressure, and then using deep pressure during massage therapy may reduce pain reflexes in those with chronic pain conditions. This indicates the extra pressure of a weighted blanket may help keep the legs in place and reduce feelings of pain in chronic pain conditions. Weighted blankets have a unique ability to use therapeutic pressure to reduce pain while improving our overall health – all while we’re sleeping!
Bottom Line
As the coronavirus continues, we spend more time at home and many of us may be feeling increasingly anxious and stressed out, we observed a sale surge in weighted blankets over the past year that can provide similar benefits to deep pressure therapy. While there is no robust evidence that weighted blankets are truly effective, for most healthy adults, there are likely few risks to trying one. It may not be suitable for people with certain conditions, including:
obstructive sleep apnea, which causes disrupted breathing during sleep.
asthma, which can cause difficulty breathing at night.
claustrophobia, which the tightness of a weighted blanket may trigger.
Tags: #weightedblanket, #insonmia, #stress, #anxiety, #ADHD, #chronicpain, #deeppressuretherapy, #deeppressuresimulation, #calmingtherapeutic
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