Often reserved for young children, gymnasts and eccentric magicians, inverting the body into a precarious position can be frightening for people who prefer to keep their feet on solid ground. But hanging upside down has become a popular method for relieving pain and improving health. Since inversion therapy can be dangerous for people with certain health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, consult your physician before staring inversion therapy. Once your physician has given you the go-ahead, you might find that dangling upside down from the inversion table places stress on your ankles, causing pain. Fortunately, simple changes can often eliminate that undesired effect.
Inversion Therapy
Inversion therapy involves using specialized equipment to suspend your body in an upside-down position for several minutes. According to MayoClinic.com, the theory behind inversion therapy is that the removal of gravitational pressure from the spine allows for increased space between each vertebra. As the spaces between the vertebrae increase, less pressure is exerted on the spinal discs and nerves. Occasionally referred to as spinal traction, inversion therapy is commonly used to temporarily relieve pain in the back and neck. Inversion therapy has also been noted for its ability to improve posture, reverse the effects of aging and improve circulation.
Equipment
Using an inversion bar involves slipping your feet into boot-like contraptions and hanging from a horizontal bar. Inversion bars allow for only 100 percent inversion. Since your entire body weight hangs from your feet, this type of inversion can be extremely painful on the ankles. With an inversion table, you lie against a flat table and secure your ankles with straps or cushioned bars. An inversion table allows you to invert to any angle from zero to 100 percent. As you get into the deeper inversions, your body weight is still supported entirely by your feet, which can cause a significant amount of pain in the ankles. With an inversion chair, you remain in a seated position and a belt around the waist supports your body weight. Although inversion chairs typically only invert to about 60 or 70 percent, they do place significantly less stress on the ankles, knees and hips.
Degree of Decline
If you do choose to use an inversion table, your degree of decline plays a significant role in determining how much stress is placed on the ankles. In an upright position, you are essentially standing on the footrest with your back supported against the table. As you invert, your degree of decline increases. Once you move past a completely horizontal position, your ankles slowly begin to work harder. The greater your degree of decline, the more body weight your ankles must support. If you experience significant ankle pain while inverting, consider lessening your degree of decline. Rather than inverting into a full 100-percent inversion, try inverting at 20 or 30 degrees. Once your ankles can handle the inversion, increase the angle by small increments.
Comfort Tips
Your choice of footwear during inversion therapy could be the source of your ankle pain. If you are inverting with bare feet, wear thick socks and shoes or boots to protect your skin as you invert. If your shoes irritate your feet, switch to a different pair the next time you invert. To ensure comfort, only use an inversion table that features heavily cushioned ankle straps or bars.
