Back pain sufferers will try almost anything to quell the nagging pain along their spinal column. Medication and surgery are not always the answer and numerous people subscribe to alternative therapies, such as using an inversion table. Similar in appearance to a playground teeter-totter, tilting the body upside down reliefs pressure from the spinal column and allows it to heal from pain and tissue and nerve inflammation. The best inversion tables provide optimal therapeutic benefit and are durable.
Benefits of Inversion Therapy
Inversion tables aid the body in healing by reducing the load on the spine. Users strap in to the device and lean backwards. Aided by the table, the user turns upside down with their legs above their head. According to Energy Center, the inversion table uses gravity to increase space between vertebrae to relieve pressure on the backbone and its discs and nerves. The result is less pain and stiffness, as well as strengthening of ligaments in the back.
Teeter Hang Ups F5000/EP-550
The Galt Internet Guide and One4Fitness each give their best rating to Teeter's F5000/EP-550. Galt reports that these two models are actually one in the same, as the F-series of tables was discontinued in 2008. The EP-550 is described by Galt as having a stable base with a mesh bed that moves with the body. The table folds for storage and in March 2011, retailed for $359.95 at Amazon.com.
Teeter Hang Ups EP-950
Also known as the F9000, Teeter's EP-950 has the same functionality as the EP-550, but adds some additional features. According to Teeter, users can tighten ankle straps from the handles without having to bend. Over-EZ handles help the user in and out of their desired position, with preset angle measures and options for manual stretching. In March 2011, the EP-950 retailed for $549 at Amazon.com.
IronMan 4000
Galt suggests IronMan as an alternative to the Teeter line of inversion tables. One4Fitness awarded the table five stars. The user's ankles can be locked in with a palm-activated ankle system and the table has three predetermined angles. Amazon.com carried the table in March 2011 for $349.
