Inversion Tables

[7rider]

Hey all.
My SIL and BIL were singing the praises of their inversion table this weekend.
I strapped on and tried it out, and it felt like it had some real possibilities for decompressing my back for me with the chronic back /hip /neck issues.
FWIW, I have a herniated disc in my neck, several "bulging" discs up there, a T12 compression fracture of undetermined age, and chronic low back issues, and spend many hours at a chiropractor's office.
Was wondering if any of you had any experience with them - good or bad - or any recommendations on what to look for or avoid.
Thanks!

[Kalidurga]

I've been very curious about inversion tables for similar reasons, so I'm interested in responses to this, too. My chiro has one in his living room, but I've never asked him about it.

[Mr. Bloom]

If either of you live in Indiana, come get mine...you can HAVE it.

I don't doubt the potential benefits at all. However, when I get inverted, I feel like my eyes are going to pop out and that I'll have a stroke. Then, if I use it on less inversion, I really have the same benefit I can get from an incline bench (which is much less expensive).

Plus, it takes up a lot of room

[Zen]

I just use a foam roller. Opens those spaces right up.
And it's a whole lot cheaper

[nscrbug]

I've used an inversion table religiously (daily) for the past year and a half. I have grade 2 spondylolisthesis (vertebral slippage) at the L5/S1 level, along with severe degenerative disc disease and stenosis. I had horrific sciatica due to my back problems, and inverting completely cured it for me. It's not for everyone, but for some people it can really benefit them. So far, it has kept me off the surgeon's table...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to help as long as I keep doing it everyday. Plus, it just feels great...to me.

[lph]

Is that what it's called! We have (had) one at work. I looooooove it. It stretches my upper back and shoulders beautifully, they tend to get hunched and ape-ish, and I come out of it feeling an inch taller. A few times I have got queasy though, feels like my inner organs are sloshing around in there.

But then my workplace moved and it's disappeared .

[ginny]

I go to the local park and hang upside down on the bars. I know I look like a doofus, but it does help my back / neck when I get all wonky. I have wondered about inversion tables, but maybe a chin up bar that you can hook your feet over and hang upside down would do the same thing?

[pfunk12]

Not to jack your thread, 7rider...but I was happy to see that nscrbug has the same exact issues that I do. Okay, that doesn't sound right because I certainly don't wish anyone to have my issues! I'm also happy to hear that the inversion table has provided you with relief, nscrbug. So 7rider, if you buy an inversion table, can I cycle over to your house and visit with you and Tom while I am upside down? Or I can buy my own inversion table and sell my treadmill to make room for it? My girls would loooove (heavy sarcasm) if their mom buys another sports-related/medical-related item for our tiny condo!

I've used an inversion table religiously (daily) for the past year and a half. I have grade 2 spondylolisthesis (vertebral slippage) at the L5/S1 level, along with severe degenerative disc disease and stenosis. I had horrific sciatica due to my back problems, and inverting completely cured it for me. It's not for everyone, but for some people it can really benefit them. So far, it has kept me off the surgeon's table...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to help as long as I keep doing it everyday. Plus, it just feels great...to me.

[Wahine]

Inversion tables can work very well for some back conditions. The newer versions of tables are adjustable so that you can control the incline and are not completely upside down. The main issues with inversion tables are that some conditions do not respond well to them or they don't tolerate the position of the inversion table due to blood pressure changes. It would be very difficult for me to explain all the conditions that benefit or don't here so I'm not going to try. The good news is that if you have tried it and it felt good... it's a good thing for you.

If you have blood pressure issues you need to be careful, you can get too much blood pressure in the skull and your body may not know what to do with it (like Mr. S.). Your cardiovascular system can learn to compensate, so the key here is to start out with a lower angle of inversion and short intervals.

The other thing to be careful of is that sustained decompression of the back might feel good at the time but can be very painful afterward. So I would recommend that you start with short intervals of inversion (30 to 60 sec) then take a 20 sec break and repeat. You can increase the interval lengths as you evaluate your tolerance.

Hope that helps.

[7rider]

That helps a lot. Thanks.
I don't think just hooking my feet over a bar would do it for me. I'm uncoordinated enough that I'd probably fall and break my neck! I definitely need to strap into something secure. Stable and secure are the words here.
Mr. S., I'd take you up on your offer, but alas, I don't foresee being out in your neck of the woods any time soon. I did drive through Gary once, however. Had us all break out in song!

And, P....if we get one, sure...c'mon over!

[Mr. Bloom]

If you have blood pressure issues you need to be careful, you can get too much blood pressure in the skull and your body may not know what to do with it (like Mr. S.). Your cardiovascular system can learn to compensate, so the key here is to start out with a lower angle of inversion and short intervals.

Good point, but mine is usually about 110/65...

I did drive through Gary once, however.

No wonder you're not in a rush to return!

[Wahine]

When I mentioned blood pressure issues I intentionally did not use high blood pressure as the example, it can just be a matter of the body not being able to compensate appropriately for changes in posture, that can happen with high, low or even normal resting blood pressures. The result is still too much pressure in the skull because of gravity and the body's inability to adapt to the changes in demand on the cardiovascular system when the body is inverted.

Mr. S., thanks for bringing that up. I'm glad it brought my attention to the needed clarification.

[Mr. Bloom]

Wahine, are you suggesting that if I eased into the inversion that my experience might be better?

I'd love it to be more pleasant.

[Wahine]

Absolutely, using a shallower angle and limiting the inverted time to 30 sec with a 10 to 20 sec break, then repeating this over about 10 min would still give you a lot of benefit to your back while minimizing the strain on your cardiovascular system. As your cardiovascular system becomes accustomed to the inversion you can slowly increase the inverted interval or increase the inversion angle.

People who have been bed ridden for a length of time have to go through a similar process to get upright again just because their cardiovascular systems are not used to being upright. It takes some relearning by that part of your nervous system that controls blood pressure and blow flow.

Hope that helps.

[Mr. Bloom]

Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.