Americans are battling chronic back pain at alarming rates. Long commutes coupled with long hours sitting at a desk are leading more and more people to look for chronic back pain solutions. Inversion therapy has gained interest in alternative medicine as an at home remedy for chronic back pain. Inversion therapy utilizes therapy tables or inversion chairs depending on personal mobility. The belief of inversion therapy is that manipulating the body to a forty five degree angle and remaining static for anywhere between five to fifteen minutes can decrease chronic back pain and even improve depression.
According to the basics of inversion therapy, manipulating the body through the use of inversion therapy by a twenty five degree angle has shown to reduce muscle tension by up to thirty five percent in ten seconds. Within minutes, believers in inversion therapy state that blood flow is increased, circulation is improved, and the jelly like substance needed for spinal, disc and nerve health begins to seep back around the spinal column, thus reducing chronic back pain. Other proposed benefits of using Inversion therapy for just minutes a day include, increased alertness, less stiffness, strengthening of ligaments, increased flexibility and posture and of course, a re-aligned spinal column.
History of Inversion Therapy
Inversion therapy has been in practice for almost 2000 years. The earliest mention of inversion therapy as a method for treating chronic back pain came from Hippocrates in 400 BC (sportsinjuryclinic.net). A patient experiencing chronic back pain was given hanging therapy through a system of ropes wrapped around the legs and ankles and hoisted into an upside down position by a system of pulleys.
In the 1960’s, according to teeterhangups.com, Dr. Martin of California began bringing Inversion therapy to the forefront with his book Gravity Guidance System, and subsequently developed the inversion therapy table in the 1970’s. According to Wikipedia, during the 1970’s the US Army saw the benefits of using weighted gravity boots and hanging upside down to strengthen back muscles injured from combat and basic training. They continue this practice to this day. The 1980’s saw the biggest boom in inversion tables and inversion chairs in medical history. In the modern era, inversion therapy through gravity boots has been researched by NASA as a way to relieve chronic back pain of astronauts after space travel (nasa.gov), but results have not been published as conclusive evidence.
People other than those with chronic back pain have turned to hanging therapy and Inversion tables in the privacy of their own home. Many gyms and fitness centers are now incorporating some form of inversion equipment into their workouts. Primarily used as a ‘cool down’ tool after bouts of intense exercise, it can ensure clients do not leave with any workout related injuries. Media stars such as Rosie O’donnell have used inversion therapy for depression. The author of The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown, has used hanging therapy to revitalize and refresh the mind.
The inversion chair is similar to the inversion table, except it allows a patient to sit down. This is the preferred alternative for an older person or someone with a spinal injury who finds standing difficult or painful. A person sits in a chair with a straight back board. Placing the feet in stirrups on a small metal stabilizer bar, and holding on to sturdy side handles, gently pushes the body backwards until the desired angle is achieved.
Gravity boots are used in inversion therapy. This is where the person places the feet in boots attached to a hanging therapy bar or other high place. The body simply hangs suspended upside down in the air for several minutes, until blood flow to the upper body (because the person is upside down) is increased. This type of hanging therapy supposedly reduces chronic back pain by increasing blood flow. It is purported to also increase mental stamina and reduce depression.
Inversion Therapy Evidence
The beliefs that inversion therapy as alternative medicine can help with chronic back pain is not unfounded. David Draper of Athletic Therapy Today (ATT at humankinetics.com), a sports medicine journal, reported that inversion therapy appears to reduce chronic back pain.
In Draper’s article, he reported on a study using 30 people with chronic lower chronic back pain, inversion therapy traction unit (inversion therapy table) as hanging therapy helped patients by “Increasing the space between vertebrae, separating the apophyseal joints, widening the intervertebral foramen, removing pressure or contact forces on injured tissue, increasing peripheral circulation, stretching muscles and ligaments, reducing muscle spasm(s), relaxing muscles, changing intervertebral disc pressures, tensing the posterior longitudinal ligament to exert force at the back of the vertebrae, creating suction to draw protruded disks toward their center, flattening lumbar lordosis.”
Inversion therapy may help well beyond chronic back pain. In the medical journal Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, researchers Alison Woolery, Hectory Myers, Beth Stemlieb, and Lonnie Zelter wrote a an article titled: A Yoga Intervention For Young Adults With Elevated Symptoms Of Depression. These researchers examined if yoga combined with other therapies including inversion therapy would have a positive impact on mildly depressed young adults. The researchers used yoga postures thought to alleviate depression, particularly hack heads, standing poses, and inversion therapy. The final result was that participants experienced significant decreases in symptoms of depression.
Inversion Therapy Safety
Is hanging therapy safe? Can the body really be healed by hanging upside down in gravity boots or tilting at angles on a fancy table? Researchers at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine stated in the Western Journal of Medicine that: Inversion (therapy) could prove to be dangerous in some patient populations, such as those with glaucoma, hypertension, uncompensated congestive heart failure, carotid artery stenosis, hiatal hernia or spinal instability, persons receiving anticoagulants or aspirin therapy, those above age 55 or those with a family history of cerebrovascular accidents. These precautions have been republished at sportsinjuryclinic.net.
Inversion therapy, hanging therapy, and gravity boots may have some scientific evidence and support, but there are also cautions that should be considered carefully. Furthermore, there is very little research on the subject from osteopathic medicine and western medicinal journals that support inversion therapy for chronic back pain.
In conclusion, inversion therapy and hanging therapy as a remedy for chronic back pain or other maladies is an alternative medicine. Inversion therapy should not be used to replace medical advice. Please consult an osteopathic physician, chiropractor, and a general practitioner doctor before beginning inversion therapy. Also, take any information found on the Internet regarding inversion therapy with a grain of salt - there is little significant scientific evidence to prove that this type of therapy works. Overall, there are some medical reports that show hanging therapy and inversion therapy can have a positive impact on chronic back pain and other problems. These benefits have been documented by researchers as an alternative medicine, especially in contrast to traditional osteopathic medicine. With this information and the advice of your physician, you can decide if inversion therapy is right for you.
Always Consult Your Physician First
Although it is helpful to get health information by reading and talking with friends, make sure you consult your doctor first before trying any new treatment or changing your diet. Remember that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate the strength, purity or safety of herbs and supplements. Be sure to always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, speak with your doctor before taking medical action or changing your health routine. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. LifeScript disclaims any liability for the decisions made by its readers based on the information provided.
