Gentle traction is applied to the spine during inversion therapy. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, inversion therapy dates back as far as Hippocrates, who saw the method used to provide traction to a patient with back injuries. One way to deliver inversion therapy is through an inversion table, a slab designed to hold your body while it turns you upside down. There are a variety of benefits, as well as risks, inherent in the device. You should consult your doctor before attempting to use an inversion table.
Spinal Decompression
Discs in the spine provide cushioning for the vertebrae. Discs wear out and become compressed from high-impact activities, such as running and other sports and exercises that deliver constant pounding. When you invert your body, you provide relief to the discs, which are filled with a fluid that becomes compacted over time. The traction creates a little breathing room and allows the discs to expand. Nerves that were being smashed by the compressed vertebrae become loosened, relieving back pain.
Increased Circulation
In addition to resting upside down on an inversion table, you can use the device to oscillate up and down, increasing circulation, reports the Sports Injury Clinic. Waste and fluid that built up around the discs is free to flow out. Muscles become relaxed during oscillation on the table, allowing blood to flow better. Inverting the body also increases blood flow from the heart and allows blood to pump more freely to the brain. Inversion tables also help increase the flow of lymphatic fluids through the body that eliminate waste products from the muscles and other tissues, reducing the recovery time from exercise and exertion.
Better Posture
Muscle spasms can cause poor posture. Inversion reduces spasms in the back and can improve spinal conditions, such as lordosis and scoliosis. Lordosis is an imbalance in the spine created from weak muscles and compressed discs. It causes the lower back to curve in unnaturally. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that results from birth defects, physical trauma or lifestyle habits, such as carrying a heavy backpack daily.
Other Benefits
Stretching in unconventional positions can pull tight muscles that can't be relieved through normal stretching avenues. According to Spine Universe, an inversion table can relieve tight muscles and provide stress relief. Motion sickness may be relieved through use of an inversion table as the body becomes more tuned to spatial awareness, and the inner ear adjusts to the changing positions. Inversion tables provide flexibility as well. Unlike gravity boots that only allow you to hang upside down, inversion tables can be partially lowered to relieve disc pressure and they can be oscillated.
