Benefits of Inversion Tables: How Inversion Therapy Relieves Chronic Back Pain

Inversion therapy may sound like a trendy thing, but inverting the body is a natural therapeutic modality used for centuries for stretching, strength-building, pain-relief and more. Many therapists recommend inversion therapy, and practitioners of inversion therapy can attest to the relief they feel and the improvements it’s added to their lives.

If you’re curious about inversion tables and how you can benefit from regular inversion therapy, read on to learn about how an inversion table could help with your chronic back pain and more.

What Is Inversion Therapy?

Inversion therapy is a spine health technique that angles the body downward for a few minutes. The inversion therapy approach uses gravity and your own bodyweight to help stretch and elongate the spine, alleviating pressure of compressed discs. Inversion therapy is practiced using an inversion or traction table, which allows the user to secure themselves and then adjust the angle at which the table tilts. The user can remain in the inverted position for as long as they’d like—typically under 15 minutes, depending on the angle.

Many people undergo inversion therapy during visits to their chiropractors or physiotherapists. However, if you feel like you could benefit from regular inversion therapy without the need for an appointment, you’re in luck. Inversion tables are available to have at home, ready to use as needed.

What Conditions Can Inversion Therapy Help With?

The principle behind inversion therapy is that it’s meant to be a way for a person to counter the effects that gravity has on their body. Gravity pulls organs, muscles and joints downward, compressing them against the spine. It’s believed that over time, this gravitationally caused compression can result in chronic back pain, fatigue and other related symptoms.

While many cases of chronic back or lumbar pain are non-specific, meaning there is no one determinable cause, spinal compression is a likely contributing factor. Most people are too sedentary these days, sitting for long periods without enough active movement to counter the stillness. Holistic solutions such as inversion therapy and many other wellness approaches can help reverse the effects of sedentary life by promoting movement and circulation.

Because inversion therapy alleviates pressure from the spine and increases the space between vertebrae, it’s considered a holistic solution for pain relief. Some of the conditions people manage with inversion therapy include:

Chronic low back pain
Non-specific back pain
Sciatica pain
Degenerative disc disease
Muscle tension

Benefits of Inversion Tables

Those who use inversion tables regularly report that it adds noticeable health benefits to their lives. Because inversion tables stretch and release tension from muscles around the spine, inversion therapy can offer other benefits beyond pain-relief, including reduced stress, improved blood circulation and increased flexibility.

Here are the major health benefits of using inversion tables regularly:

1. Improve Spine Health

One of the primary reasons people experience back pain is due to improper spine alignment. Not adhering to a neutral posture consistently throughout the day puts unnecessary stress on the spine when it’s misaligned.

Gentle massage and light manipulation of the spine are techniques that therapists use to help people relieve compression in the spine, ultimately leading to better spine health over time. Inversion therapy is similar to these approaches, as it carefully inverts the body downward, allowing for gentle stretching from gravity’s pull.

2. Avoid the Need for Painkillers

Many people who live with chronic back pain are dependent on prescription painkillers to find relief. Inversion therapy may help people reduce their need for medication by providing a natural pain management solution.

A 2013 study looked at 47 women suffering from chronic low back pain and their results after an eight-week inversion therapy program. The participants were divided into three groups that tested the results of inverting at different table angles—0 degrees, 30 degrees and 60 degrees—four times per week for three sets of three-minute inversions each.

After the eight-week program, the inverted groups saw significant improvements in their chronic low back pain symptoms. Additionally, the results showed that the inverted groups had greater flexibility in their upper bodies and lumbar areas, meaning they had a better ability to bend forward and touch their toes.

3. Prevent the Need for Surgery

Holistic wellness and natural pain management approaches are important for those who are at risk of requiring surgery for their lumbar pain or sciatica. Making lifestyle changes to protect your spine health can help prevent further damage that will eventually require surgical intervention. Inversion therapy could be a good solution for many people who would otherwise need to undergo a surgical procedure.

One study looked at how inversion therapy may help patients listed for lumbar surgery. One group of participants received both inversion and physical therapies, while the control group received only physical therapy. In the first group, 77% of participants avoided the need for surgery after undergoing both inversion and physical therapies. Only 22% of participants who underwent physical therapy alone avoided surgery.

4. Reduce Stress

Many people who use inversion tables report that it helps them de-stress. Inverted positions—keeping your head below your heart—are known to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is our rest-and-digest mode that’s opposite of our fight-or-flight mode (the sympathetic nervous system).

Yoga instructors explain this well when they recommend child’s pose—a position inspired by the way children sleep with their heads down and bums in the air. It’s a naturally soothing position that puts the body into a more restful state after experiencing an active sympathetic nervous system. Taking time to invert yourself may help you regain control over your stress and calm your nerves.

5. Increase Mobility

Many people with back pain avoid physical activity. However, light and consistent physical activity is strongly recommended for back pain. Without it, your back pain will likely worsen, and you’ll experience decreased mobility. For this reason, maintaining mobility is very important when suffering from back pain. Inversion therapy, combined with exercise, may help.

As mentioned, the 2013 study that looked at inversion for chronic low back pain found that inverted participants had greater trunk flexion and lumbar flexibility. This means that the stretch their spines received from inverting regularly improved their mobility and loosened up tight low back muscles.

Inversion Therapy at Home

If you’re interested in benefiting from inversion therapy at home, then investing in your own inversion table could be right for you. It’s important to note that inversion tables aren’t considered harmful and are generally safe to use provided your health is in good condition. If your low back pain is caused by a severe condition, then inversion therapy might not be for you.

Because inversion therapy requires the head to be below the heart, it’s not recommended for people with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. People with severe spine injuries, hernias or who are recovering surgery should also not use an inversion table without the supervision of a physician. Always consult a physician before using inversion tables.

When using inversion therapy at home, you can take the liberty of playing around with different angles and durations to find the solution that’s right for you. You may decide to start with a slight angle at 15 degrees and gradually increase the inversion from there. Using an inversion table at home gives you an opportunity to connect with your body and learn more about what helps relieve your back pain symptoms.

Mastercare Back-A-Traction Inversion Table

If you’ve undergone inversion therapy with your physiotherapist or chiropractor and you feel it could greatly benefit your life, then investing in your own inversion table might be right for you. Relax The Back has the perfect solution.

The Mastercare Back-A-Traction Inversion Table® is a professional inversion table for the home. Used by orthopedic specialists at Sweden’s Karolinska Hospital to rehabilitate patients with chronic low back pain, the Mastercare Back-A-Traction Inversion Table gives you all the benefits of inversion therapy at home.

With the Mastercare Back-A-Traction Inversion Table, you have full control over your inversion angles from 15 to 30 degrees. The Inversion Table’s safety locking feature helps you relax comfortably, knowing you’re secure. What truly makes this inversion table effective is the sliding backrest that offers the support you need to stretch or perform gentle strength-building exercises safely.

Using the Inversion Table for just a few minutes daily can give your spine the relief it needs to heal and prevent low back pain, improve circulation and increase mobility. Order your Mastercare Back-A-Traction from Relax The Back today and start feeling your back pain, stiffness and tension melt away with the benefits of inversion therapy.

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Filed in: pain relief

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