Inversion tables help you against gravity by allowing you to position your body at various downward angles with the steepest angle putting you completely upside down. A form of spinal traction, this therapy purports to relieve back pain by decompressing the spine and stretching the muscles, ligaments and other tissues surrounding it. Many people report relief from using this therapy but it is not considered a standard treatment for back pain among the conventional medical community; it is not necessarily a "bad" treatment but using inversion tables could result in certain problems and you should not use them at all if you have certain health conditions.
Evidence of Effectiveness
According to Mayoclinic.com, evidence from several well-designed studies found inversion therapy ineffective for offering long-term relief from back pain. You might however, find this therapy offers temporary pain relief, especially when combined with other pain management techniques.
Using Inversion Tables Safely
If you decide to use an inversion table for your back problems, you need to start off slowly to acclimate your body to this new positioning. Teeter Hang Ups, a company that manufactures tables for professional and home use, offers some guidelines on proper usage. While it recommends inverting for at least three to five minutes for optimal benefit, Teeter suggests limiting sessions for one to two minutes initially until you feel more comfortable with longer periods. For the first several weeks, do not invert beyond 20 to 30 degrees; at this angle, you will begin to experience decompression without risking pulled muscles or other types of injury. The tables fully invert to 90 degrees but you will achieve the full benefit of decompression at 60.
Possible Negative Effects
A study published in the "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation" looked at the effects of inversion therapy on 20 patients with low back pain. Researchers found the inverted position raised both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and induced headaches, blurred vision and contact lense discomfort in some of the patients. The effects on blood pressure could increase your risk of a stroke.
Contraindications
If you have certain health conditions, inversion tables could prove outright dangerous. The increased pressure in the eye region could complicate glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and infections of the eye. Do not use if you have hypertension or any kind of heart or circulatory condition. Conditions affecting your bones such as osteoporosis, skeletal implants or recent fractures can make inversion therapy harmful. Other contraindications include pregnancy, obesity, hernia and the use of blood-thinning medications.
