The phrase “inversion therapy” sounds very professional, very impressive. It is both, but it’s actually also very simple. Inversion therapy consists of hanging upside down and it’s usually undertaken to help treat back and nerve pain.
“To some, it will appear as a scam. To others, it’s viewed with mild skepticism. Yet, the results judging by the testimony of real people who have tried it range from no effect to substantial relief. So, to many, it’s a godsend”.Those with compressed discs, sciatica, and other painful nerve and back-related problems know just how debilitating those conditions can be.
Any proposed treatment should be reviewed by a physician, but many patients have already gone that traditional route with disappointing results.
The method is simplicity itself.
Using an adjustable inversion table, you simply lie down and tilt your body at any desired angle ranging from zero to 90 degrees. This reverses (partially or entirely) the effect of gravity on the body.
The treatment aims mostly at the spine and the idea is chiefly to undo the compression on the discs, thus easing nerve pressure. How?
Discs are cartilaginous joints between each vertebrae in the spinal column including the neck. They act as ligaments to hold the parts of the column together. They also act as shock absorbers in daily living, the shocks delivered by walking, running, and the ever-present force of gravity.
Reversing the direction of gravity’s effect can alleviate some of the pressure on those discs and other body parts around them. Those “other parts” are joints, muscles, and most importantly the nerves that thread through them.
Naturally, everything in the back is interconnected (not directly, of course, but intermediately by the effects of one part on adjacent ones). So, relieving pressure on discs can relieve it on the nerves in particular by changing fluid pressure in surrounding parts.
For example, sciatica is a painful condition caused by compression of lumbar or sacral nerves. Removing that compression can, at least temporarily, relieve that pain. That’s one way inversion therapy helps.
Inversion is typically implemented by use of an inversion table. You lie on a body-sized platform connected to a hinged A-frame that can tilt anywhere from 0 to 90 degrees.” As noted, inversion is typically implemented by use of an inversion table. You lie on a body-sized platform connected to a hinged A-frame that can tilt anywhere from 0 to 90 degrees.
Full immediate inversion can be achieved by hanging from an inversion rack using gravity boots, but that is much less common. It also doesn’t permit adjusting the angle. Ankle straps and foot pegs keep your body stable at non-horizontal degrees, sometimes together with the use of side rails.
You’re always in control of the angle, and the rate at which you change it. You’re also in control of the amount of time you spend inverted. That can vary from a few minutes to 30 minutes or more. The latter is recommended only under special circumstances. You also decide, ideally in conjunction with a professional therapist, how many times per day or week you invert.
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