Inversion Therapy 101: How it started and Why it Works
The simplest explanation of inversion therapy is this: You either hang upside down or at an inclined angle so the pressure of gravity on your spinal column is relieved. The simplest explanation of inversion table benefits is: Less gravitational pull on your spinal column means less pressure on your spinal discs, nerves and joints.
Less pressure means less pain.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?
And it is. In fact, it’s so simple that inversion therapy has been around since long before the invention of the gravity inversion table. It goes all the way back to the Greeks when the best inversion table was a ladder onto which the patient was tied and which was then turned upside down for a prescribed period. (In fact, an even simpler, though less helpful method was to simply hang by one’s knees from a tree limb.)
Other inversion therapy benefits…
Today we primarily use inversion tables for back pain but there are many other inversion table benefits as well.
• Back pain is often caused when discs between our spinal vertebrae flatten and cause irritated nerve endings and pain. Inversion therapy alleviates the pain by allowing the discs room to return to their normal shape and cushion the vertebrae as they should
• Poor posture is often the result of weak back and stomach muscles. Inversion helps realign the spine and repositions the muscles so they can do their job better.
• The pain of tension headaches, tissue swelling (hemorrhoids in particular) and varicose veins are all addressed by a gravity inversion table as it helps the body realign itself. The spine stretches out. Blood flows more freely. Internal organs reposition themselves. And most of all, you feel remarkably better.
Who should use inversion therapy?
Of course inversion therapy is not for everyone. Certain people, such as those with heart issues or who are pregnant, are advised to consult with their doctor before trying or investing in a gravity inversion table. But for those who are eager to try inversion therapy, the best advice is to get a Teeter Hang Ups inversion table because they are the best available, and never attempt inversion therapy for the first time without someone there to help.
