Inversion is an ancient process of hanging the body upside down to relieve back pain, enhance circulation, promote proper spine alignment and reduce the aging effect of gravity. For the past several decades it has been used by chiropractors, physical and massage therapists in a therapeutic setting. Your body reacts positively to the change in position as well as the change in the pull of gravity on the body.
Technique
Inversion is typically done in a therapeutic setting on an inversion table or chair. It is progressive in that you won't go in and be inverted 180 degrees on the initial visit. You will progress over a series of visits until you are inverted at a recommended angle for your condition. If the goal is to compress just the cervical spine, you may only invert far enough for the weight of the head to pull. However, if the pressure and pain is in the lower back, then you may need to invert even further.
Spinal Alignment
Traction is a stretching of the vertebral column to increase disk space, promote alignment and reduce back pain. Inversion uses gravity and your own body weight as a form of traction by reversing the direction of the pull of gravity on your body. When you invert the pull of gravity increases the space in between each vertebrae, relieving pressure on the vertebral disks, ligaments and nerves. When the pressure is reduced so is back and neck pain. Sports Injury Clinic also says that it is beneficial to oscillate up and down on an inversion table, as it increases the fluid in the disk space and flushes out waste products.
Enhanced Circulation
The circulation of blood and lymph through the body can also be improved by inversion, according to Sports Injury Clinic. When you are standing or sitting upright, the heart has to fight against gravity to pump blood to the brain. But if you go into an inverted position, blood flow, and therefore oxygen, to the brain is increased. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing wastes products from the muscles and tissues of the body. It does not have a pumping mechanism like the heart, therefore it relies on muscle action to circulate it. When you are inverted, the flow on lymphatic fluid is enhanced and in turn removes waste products from the tissues more efficiently. This higher efficiency of waste removal decreases recovery time from high impact activities.
Anti-Aging
The constant pull of gravity on the body affects the body in several ways. In regards to the spine, that constant pull reduces the amount of disk space and places additional pressure on the nerves. Energy Center says that you can lose anywhere from 1/2 to 2 inches of height over the course of your lifetime. Gravity also pulls on the organs of the body and can cause many of them to prolapse lower in the abdominal cavity. Inversion allows gravity to pull the organs, such as the intestines, liver and kidneys, back up toward their intended location as well as to elongate the spine. Two areas that often accompany aging.
Contraindications
MayoClinic.com warns that inversion therapy is not for everyone. Because your body's natural response is to slow your heart rate and increase blood pressure inversion is not recommended for those with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. EnergyCenter.com also adds pregnancy, conjunctivitis, ear infections, hernias, bone weakness and extreme obesity as cautions that you should discuss with your physician before trying inversion therapy.
