Since gravity is compressive in nature, inversion therapy is used to decompress the spine and surrounding structures. When you achieve a particular degree of inversion, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia will stretch. Once they have begun to lengthen, the spinal joints will decompress and then the spinal discs will stretch to increase the space between the vertebrae.
Stretching of the spinal discs creates a vacuum, in theory, will help to pull herniated disc material back into the disc thus decreasing pressure on the exiting spinal nerves. Healthcare providers do not recommend complete inversion hanging upside down when you begin inversion therapy, especially if you have never done it before.
Most experts recommend starting at an angle of between 20 and 45 degrees of inversion for minutes repeated times with an equal amount of recover time between sessions. If you are partially inverted for one minute, you should return to the starting position for a minute before performing another minute of the inversion. The question remains, does it work? There have been a number of scientific studies performed. Unfortunately they are of a variety of population sizes and there is no consensus on effectiveness.
When the studies narrow down the condition that is being treated, the results seem to be better. In particular, when the inversion therapy is combined with physical therapy, the results seem to be more favorable. Because the studies are typically small in size, it is hard to generalize the results. Right now most of the positive or negative results are largely anecdotal. If you have an isolated lesion or condition in your back, you are more likely to get relief from consistent inversion therapy.
If you have multiple problems going on at the same time then the chances of relief or recovery will be less. Show references Simon J, et al. Non-operative management: An evidence-based approach. Seminars in Spine Surgery. Qaseem A, et al. Noninivasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians.
Annals of Internal Medicine. Cifu DX. Manipulation, traction, and massage. In: Braddom's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed May 24, McMonnies CM. Intraocular pressure and glaucoma: Is physical exercise beneficial or a risk?
Journal of Optometry. See also Acupuncture Acupuncture for back pain? Back pain therapy Back surgery: When is it a good idea? Exercise and chronic disease Functional electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury Laminectomy Leg pain Leg pain after prolonged standing or sitting MRI Muscle pain Myofascial release therapy: Can it relieve back pain? Office ergonomics Prolotherapy: Back pain solution? Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.
Legal Conditions and Terms Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. For so long, I had thought my sacroiliac joint was out of whack and just needed to be put into place.
The pain was always only on the right side dominant side of my lower back and the pain was always strongest in my glutes. After awhile, I thought it could be my piriformis muscle that was bothering me; the piriformis is a muscle deep in the buttocks that sits next to the sciatic nerve, the major nerve for the lower half of the body.
Any inflammation or irritation of this muscle, can affect the nerve. I did stretching, glute strengthening, yoga, massage, hot and cold therapy, and ample amount of research — looking for anything that might help with my pain. However, as the months passed, the pain intensified and continued to bother me.
I decided enough was enough and I finally visited a chiropractor. In addition to diagnosing my problem, the chiropractor treated me with electrical muscle stimulation EMS while on a traction table.
During EMS, electrodes were placed on my lower back, sending electrical signals to help reduce muscle spasms, inflammation and pain. The traction table I lied on is simply a table where you lie on your back while a system of rollers that are hidden inside the table move along your back to stretch and massage.
After ten minutes of EMS and the traction table, I was adjusted by the doctor. I was instructed to do a few exercises at home, not to overexert myself, and to allow time to heal my damaged disc. That was it. Well, when you are dealing with a damaged disc, time is not your friend. Hours can drag by while you try to adjust yourself to sit, stand, or lay without pain. No position is comfortable. Time just drags on as you find ways to cope.
After a couple of weeks with the chiropractor, I began to get better. My pain was greatly reduced and my mobility had increased.
However, I still had lots of healing to do. While still undergoing chiropractic treatment, my husband and I decided to invest in an inversion table link to Amazon. Besides being something that my husband always wanted, we figured that due to my injury and the chance of this happening again , now was the time to get one. Yes, this is one of those crazy contraptions that you lie on and it tips you upside down. For the cost of a few chiropractic appointments, I figured it was worth a try to get one; plus I could use it as often as needed, especially when the back pain is worse.
The science behind the inversion table is that by inverting you, your spine decompresses, which stretches and expands the joints in the back. By stretching the vertebrate back into alignment, the injured disc experiences less pain and pressure, while healing properly. Inversion tables have various degrees to which you can invert.
Mine ranges from 15 degrees from horizontal to I only hang completely inverted for about 2 minutes before needing a break. I usually need a podcast to listen to or a video to watch, helping to pass the time. Some people do it multiple times a day, but for me, what works is about minutes once day. Proponents of inversion therapy claim that in addition to decompressing the spine, inversion tables:. I have to think that the tables really do stretch and decompress the spine; I can feel myself elongate while inverted and feel taller afterwards which is only temporary, due to gravity.
All of the other claims are questionable. Not only can people buy inversion tables, but they can also buy inversion chairs, which are better for older people or people with more back and body problems. Inversion tables can be very hard on ones ankles; inversion chairs eliminate this. Others try inversion techniques by doing handstands, headstands, certain yoga poses, aerial yoga or trapeze. Being upside down places a lot of stress on the body. As the days passed, I continued the chiropractic treatment as well as the inversion therapy and improved.
I recently had a setback which, as you can imagine, frustrated me beyond belief. Just when I was feeling better, i overexerted myself for a week and the pain returned, worse than before. I think I set myself back about a month, losing all that progress. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed in myself. Ice packs, shorter and easier workouts, less housework, and inversion are now my treatments of choice. I hope the inversion table helps; some people swear by them and for others, they do nothing.
Unfortunately, it took me realizing the fragility of the spine, to take better care of mine. Click here for my update on inversion therapy! For a update on my degenerative disc disease, click here for the article.
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