[PapayaTapper]

(10-17-2016 04:10 PM)soviet_dissident Wrote:  

Unfortunately, the long-term efficacy of inversion tables is questionable at best. Go ahead and try it, but I just don't want to give anybody who is suffering too much false hope down this avenue.

Quote:

Inversion therapy doesn't provide lasting relief from back pain, and it's not safe for everyone. Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down, and the head-down position could be risky for anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma.

In theory, inversion therapy takes gravitational pressure off the nerve roots and disks in your spine and increases the space between vertebrae. Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which stretching the spine (spinal traction) has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain.

Well-designed studies evaluating spinal traction have found the technique ineffective for long-term relief. However, some people find traction temporarily helpful as part of a more comprehensive treatment program for lower back pain caused by spinal disk compression.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-condi...q-20057951

Regarding inversion tables, doctors usually hold the opinion: "if you're careful and try not to hurt yourself, go for it (but it probably won't do much)". Understand that if you have back pain, you need to discover the root causes (movement dysfunction/flexibility, discogenic issues, nerve impingement, etc.), and that the inversion table most likely isn't the true solution. Failing to find the root causes will likely result in chronic pain and/or surgery.

If you still want a little traction, try sitting in a chair and lift yourself up by pushing against the armrests for several seconds. It's safer and you also lower the risk of putting yourself into too much extension.

It's only been working for me for 22 years. If thats "temporary"... I'll take it