Inversion therapy is being touted as an efficient way to relieve back pain. However, this method has a few important caveats. Multiple contraptions available on the market allow you to hang upside down, so gravity supposedly extends the spaces between your vertebrae. But is this really useful?
This method of back pain treatment is all the rage. Check this teeter hang ups review for a few notable examples. The marketing claims sound very promising, but if you are suffering from high blood pressure, you should definitely steer clear of these machines. Here is why.
A patient is suspended upside down for a few minutes. This is meant to reduce pain in the spine through the opening up of the vertebrae. As a consequence, your disks and nerve roots feel less pressure.
In essence, it is just another attempt to achieve pain relief by stretching the human spine. With less pressure on the back, blood circulation is accelerated. These claims, however, are far from being proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Types of DevicesTables are just one of the ways to apply inversion for medical purposes. They swivel around a horizontal axis, allowing you to hang upside down while lying on a special bed. In essence, it is simply an inverted standing position. Such products are even sold on Amazon.
There are also chairs and boots. The former is said to relieve the pressure of the leg joints, while the latter allows you to hang by your feet.
Without EquipmentInversion is common in yoga, where certain postures achieve the same effects. Headstands or the Dolphin pose also stretch your spine using gravity.
The EfficiencyThe 2017 clinical guidelines "Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians" show that despite the absence of proven harm to otherwise healthy subjects, the efficiency of the method is not backed by sufficient evidence.
It is possible to say that inversion tables do not provide long-term positive effects. Moreover, these products are unsafe for certain categories of people. Glaucoma, heart disease, and increased blood pressure are some of the conditions forbidding the use altogether. Inverting a human being, even for a couple of minutes, causes blood pressure in the eyeballs to spike. Meanwhile, their heart starts beating more slowly.
Solid research that was based on the assessment of traction in the spine has delivered disappointing results. The method is ineffective for lasting relief, and may only deliver temporary effects. Hence, tables and the like can only be treated as possible additions to a comprehensive program in cases of spinal disk compression. This has been noted by Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., a specialist at the Mayo Clinic,
Important NoteBefore purchasing a table, bear in mind that inversion methods are not covered by medical insurance. They are only classified as alternative medicine. Hence, do not expect your expenses to be covered, even partially.
Conclusion
Medical professionals limit the purpose of these devices to being an addition to comprehensive treatment plans. Moreover, as the device causes blood pressure to soar, it should not be used by patients whose pressure is already high. Eye conditions like glaucoma also mean the table must not be used at all. Sadly, marketing claims are far from reality.
All in all, if you are still determined to buy an inversion table, be sure to consult with a medical expert first. Despite the benefits felt by some users in the short run, caution is paramount. The invention can hardly qualify as a reliable, let alone universally safe, method.
Inversion tables in general, and their best models reviewed by jonsguide.org, do have observable effects in terms of pain relief. However, these are only temporary benefits, so you should not expect this product to solve your issues overnight.This article has been published in accordance with opednews.com's sponsored article policy'.
