Unlike inversion boots and racks, inversion tables don’t require you to hang upside down. Instead, they allow you to comfortably lay supine and invert yourself at incremental downward angles gradually. Because your blood pressure increases when you’re inverted for more than a few minutes, especially within your head and eyeballs, people with eye diseases (glaucoma, retinal detachment), high blood pressure and those with a history of migraines or stroke should be very cautious with inversion tables. Using an inversion table may relieve your pain temporarily, but it will not treat the underlying cause behind your symptoms. You should still see your doctor for treatment. [3] X Expert Source Vlad Gendelman, MDBoard Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon Expert Interview. 17 July 2020.
Consider putting your inversion table in your basement, attic, rec room or garage — anywhere that allows at least five feet of space all around the table. The concept of inversion therapy is not new. Supposedly the therapy existed and was witnessed and commented on by Hippocrates (the “father of medicine”) around the year 400 BC. [4] X Research source
Read the instruction manual carefully because your inversion table may not be appropriate for exceptionally tall or short people. The manual should give a range of heights that are safe for usage. Inversion therapy is a type of spinal traction, which is sometimes recommended to decompress spinal disc injuries such as herniations and bulges. [5] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
As you get accustomed to the feeling and change in blood flow / pressure, gradually increase the degree of decline over the course of many days. For example, increase the decline angle by 5 degrees every week if you’re using it on a daily basis. Make sure the safety strap is properly connected to ensure it will not invert all the way and jar your body.
Until you get the hang of it, ask someone to assist or supervise you while getting on to the inversion table, particularly if you are a large person with limited mobility or flexibility. You can expect to feel the muscles / tendons / ligaments / joints of your legs and low back stretch, but not painfully so. If your back pain is caused by a compressed nerve or jammed spinal facet joint, the gentle traction provided by the inversion table may provide quick relief. [7] X Research source
For your first time, stay inverted for less than 5 minutes, even if the position feels good and doesn’t cause any side effects. Increase your time as warranted, but never stay inverted if you feel more back pain or shooting pains into your legs (sciatica). When you’re inverted, gravity will cause extra blood to pool in your head. It will eventually drain out once you’re upright, but in the meantime, the extra pressure might lead to light-headedness, nausea, or vomiting. If that happens, decrease the length of your inversion sessions, or stop them altogether. [8] X Expert Source Vlad Gendelman, MDBoard Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon Expert Interview. 17 July 2020. Most people seem to settle on an angle of inclination between 20 and 60 degrees — never exceed what your body tells you.
You should not use the inversion table if you have any of the following conditions: pregnancy, hernia (torn abdominal muscle), glaucoma, retinal detachment, conjunctivitis, hypertension, recent stroke or heart attack, circulatory disorders, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, swollen joints (rheumatoid arthritis), osteoporosis (brittle bones), unhealed fractures, scoliosis spinal rods, middle ear infection and severe obesity. If you have bouts of dizziness or suffer from vertigo, then inversion therapy should be used with caution and under the supervision of a health professional. [10] X Research source
Chiropractors usually use inversion therapy to augment a type of manual therapy known as spinal adjustments — essentially unjamming spinal joints and allowing them to move normally. You may require spinal adjustments or other therapy before being able to use an inversion table. Chiropractors often recommend inversion therapy for spinal disc problems (bulges, tears and herniations). Symptoms of a disc problem include severe back pain, shooting buttock / leg pain (sciatica), leg weakness and numbness.
Your therapist may increase the amount of traction to your spine by adding weight to your upper body while you’re on the inversion table. However, don’t attempt this at home without supervision. Using inversion therapy under the guidance of a physical therapist or other health professional is the safest way to get introduced to it and learn whether its worth it to spend the money on one for home use.
