Inversion Training

Good posture is the body position which best resists gravity. inversion is a simple and logical approach to dealing with the accumulative effects of gravitational stress on the spine.

The effects of gravity 

When you get out of alignment for any reason your soft tissues (mainly muscles) are forced to resist gravity, and they can’t always do it. common habits like rounded shoulders and slouched sitting as well as one-sided activities like golf, tennis or carrying a baby on your hip can cause minor misalignments. This can cause muscle stress, tension and spasm in the back, neck and shoulders as well as headaches and other problems. gravity combined with common postures, malforms and deteriorates the body causing chronic compression of the weight-bearing joints and affecting the surrounding musculature and nervous system. Discs in the spine become thinner due to compression – you can temporarily lose up to 1.3cm to 1.9cm in height during your waking hours from the compressive effects of gravity (thinning of discs due to dehydration). Over time, we will see results of permanent height loss and sagging body parts that we attribute to ‘old age’.

Reversing the adverse effects of gravity 

Inversion has been shown to temporarily increase spinal length and decrease pressure on intervertebral discs, helping the discs to rehydrate with fluids, nutrients and oxygen for greater shock absorption. This results in reduced pressure on nerve roots that exit the spinal column through openings that are controlled by the height of the disc. This could greatly assist anyone suffering from back or neck pain due to nerve compression.

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The Mendelow study completed in September 2006 concluded that inversion therapy decreased the need for an operation in sciatica due to single level disc protrusion to 23 per cent as compared to 78 per cent in the non-inversion group. statistics show that over three million Australians suffer lower back pain, an interesting result considering how many people undergo back surgery with less than desirable results. The Nosse study found that electromyography (EMG) activity (an indicator of muscle pain) declined 35 per cent within the first ten seconds of inversion.

Regenerating support structures to restore functional mobility 

Joints naturally align and decompress 
The compressive effect of gravity is compounded by activities such as running, weightlifting and aerobics. inversion with movement (such as side-to-side bends and back arches) provides the opportunity for joints to naturally align into what we call perfect posture. Combined with reduced stress and less muscle tension, people find that they naturally stand taller and straighter after inverting.

Decongest internal organs 
As the body ages, internal organs (kidneys, stomach, intestines) begin to prolapse. often what we refer to as ‘middle aged spread’, apart from weight gain, is due to the relocation of internal organs. Digestion and waste elimination problems are also common symptoms. inversion helps these organs resume their normal shape and place in the body.

Click here for: Teeter Hang Ups EZ Up Inversion and Chin Up System with Rack, Gravity Boots and Healthy Back DVD

Stimulate circulation 
Adopting an inverted position helps your heart move waste-laden blood from your lower body to your heart and lungs to be cleansed and rushes fresh, oxygen-rich blood from your heart and lungs to your upper body and brain. by encouraging the blood flow, inversion clears out pain-producing toxins (e.g., lactic acid) trapped in tensed muscles. Inverting the body causes tissue fluids of the lower extremities to drain far more effectively than when one is asleep. If you can remain inverted for just three to five minutes, the blood will not only drain quickly to the heart, but tissue fluids will flow more efficiently into the veins and lymph channels of the lower extremities and the abdominal and pelvic organs, facilitating a healthier exchange of nutrients and wastes between cells and capillaries. English soccer teams that use inversion with their players as a warm up and cool down technique have reported reduced injury rates and quicker recovery rates (due to faster release of toxins).

Relieve stress and tension 

Much back pain is caused by muscles that are cramped, tense and in spasm. The muscle tenses, reducing blood flow in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, back or buttocks. This produces pain by allowing the accumulation of waste chemicals, much the same process that causes leg muscle fatigue after a long run because of lactic acid build up. When the muscle goes into spasm in the lower back, it can lead to the mistaken assumption that a disc problem has occurred.

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Inversion stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid which flushes out the wastes and carries them to the blood stream. Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system has no pump and needs all the help it can get. Only the alternate relaxing and contracting of the muscles moves the lymphatic fluid through the capillaries and the one way valves pointing towards the major lymphatic ducts in the upper chest. Even in healthy relaxed muscles, the lymphatic fluid moves very slowly.

Flexibility Stretching while inverted maximises effectiveness because it uses the individual’s own body weight and also eliminates any compression. Strong ligaments and muscles are vital for proper joint support, protecting people from injury. Inverted stretching and exercise provides gentle reverse loading and mobilisation of the spine and weight-bearing joints, helping to strengthen the fibrous structure encasing these joints and helping users to attain functional fitness.

Inversion exercises 

There are numerous, and conflicting, schools of thought and techniques in the personal training industry, and naturally not everybody will subscribe to the same ideas, particularly in specialised fitness disciplines. Inversion training may not be for everyone, but many people find that they are able to maintain optimal spinal health when they incorporate an element of inversion therapy into their daily fitness regime.

8milelake Set Gravity Boots Inversion Therapy Gym Fitness Physio Hang Spine Posture Back

INVERSION: You are only as strong as your lower back

One of the most common injuries for weight lifters, bodybuilders and aging men in general, is lower back pain. My own history with lower back pain has been long and varied. It wasn't until recently that I discovered the benefits of regular inversion. And I must say, with all honesty, my back has NEVER felt better!  I no longer dread tweaking my lower back with general movement.  Then being out of full commission for weeks at a time until it heals.

One day, while sitting in my office I took notice of a commercial for teeter hangups on the television. For those who have never unfamiliar with teeter hangup, the company makes inversion boots, inversion tables and other lower back pain relief devices. Because I was desperate for relief from my back I paid full attention to the Teeter commercial. After the commercial was over I realized, I COULD USE MY SOLOFLEX FOR REGULAR INVERSION SESSIONS! I gave it a try and it worked beautifully!

I know there has to be other Soloflex owners out there who are also dealing with regular bouts of lower back pain. Who have never considered their Muscle Machine as the means of long term relief.

Here is the theory behind why inversion is believed to work to relieve lower back pain. The constant pull of gravity has a cumulative negative effect on the joints and spinal discs. Inversion puts gravity to work by placing the body in line with the downward force of gravity. Not only can inversion therapy help to temporarily relieve back pain, but it also can be used as a method to relieve other negative effects that gravity has on the body. Hanging upside down stretches, relaxes the muscles, and reduces stress on the spinal discs.

Inversion temporarily lengthens the spine, increasing the space between the vertebrae, which relieves the pressure on discs, ligaments and nerve roots. This reductions of pressure on the discs translates into less back pain.

The inner core of your discs is made of jellylike material which provides the "cushioning" in your back. You can lose up to .5" (1.3-2.0 cm) in height daily during your waking hours from the compressive effects of gravity. This daily height loss reverses overnight, but not 100%, resulting in permanent height loss, loss of flexibility and shock absorption. While inverted, you are able to temporarily reverse the downward pressure on your discs, helping the discs to recover an regain lost moisture and lost height, with improved flexibility.

Lying down in bed only releases 75% of standing body weight on the spinal discs. The hundreds of ligaments and muscles that encase and stabilize the spine act like a bunch of rubber bands holding the spine in compression equal to 25% of standing body weight. Inverting to 60 degrees helps to reduce the disc pressure to at or near zero.

Inverting yourself to as little as 20-25 degrees for even a few minutes can help relax tense muscles and speed the flow of lymphatic fluids which flush out of the body's wastes and carry them to the blood stream.

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system has no pump. Only the alternate contraction and relaxation of the muscles moves the lymphatic fluid "uphill" through capillaries and one-way valves to the upper chest for cleansing. Inverting the body so that gravity works with, not against, these one-way valves stimulates the flow of lymph system, helping to clear toxins from the body.

Your heart must work against gravity to pump blood up to your brain, which is the body's largest consumer of oxygen. Inversion is a simple way to improve circulation to the upper body.

When inverting, you are helping your heart to clear the blood from your feet, legs, and lower body. This allows the blood in your limbs to circulate more easily, which may help to drain blood from varicose veins.

The experience of thousands of people who invert regularly is that it gives us the relief from back pain we have been looking for. Just as important, we gain the rejuvenating effects of inversion on the entire body, providing health benefits far beyond the relief of back pain.

Questions And Answers

1. How long should I invert?

This is probably the most commonly asked question about inversion. The answer really varies with different people. For the most part, we recommend beginners to start slowly: It is very easy to pull a muscle or nerve in the back by overdoing it. At slight angles there is little risk. Once you get to a point where your head is more than a foot or so below your feet you are achieving a strong degree of traction. Once you reach 45 degrees you are at a point that is stronger traction than you would achieve in a hospital. The angle of inversion also affects the length of inversion time that is comfortable. The shallower the angle, the longer the time. Most people will invert for 10 - 20 minutes once or twice a day. There is no real time limit. The important thing is to listen to your body and under do it rather than over do it. If you are at all uncomfortable, simply return upright slowly, resting in the horizontal position before coming all the way up.

Virtually all issues of discomfort that occur with new invertees are due to going too far, too fast. You are wonderfully designed to be upside down, but if you are like most people, the last time you hung upside down you were a little kid. Just ease into inversion gradually. Increasing the angle of incline only as you feel comfortable.

2. Does inversion cause strokes / popped blood vessels?

A medical study published in 1983 by Dr. Goldman and colleagues showed that inverted patients experienced an increase in blood pressure and internal eye pressure. The media widely reported the study, warning that stroke was a potential result of inversion.

Two years following the inversion study, Dr. Goldman reversed his original position, stating, "New research shows that you are at no more of a stroke risk hanging upside down than if you are exercising right side up." More in-depth research found that the body actually has mechanisms that prevent damage from hanging upside down. In fact, while oscillating (inverting with movement), some of the patients' blood pressure actually dropped a few points. (*Note: these studies were based on patients in generally good health. Make sure you review contraindications prior to inverting.)

Dr. Goldman stated that the warnings to the public about the dangers of inversion were "grossly inflated" and that "in the 15 years these devices have been in use, there has not been one single stroke case reported, nor any serious injuries." (This statement, to the best of our knowledge, is as true today as when Dr. Goldman made it 17 years ago).

Other universities, including Marquette, Iowa, and Portland studied inversion during this time, with results that also helped to vindicate Inversion as a healthy physical activity.

3. Why do I feel so much pressure in my head - is it normal to turn red?

This is very normal and is actually good for you, indicating increased blood flow to the brain, eyes, skin and hair. One preliminary study showed that the brain runs 7% faster and 14% more accurate while inverted! The feeling of pressure usually lessens over time as you become accustomed to inverting.

If you are a beginner and are uncomfortable with this feeling, it is OK to come up and rest a while. This is referred to as "intermittent" traction (alternating inversion with being upright) and is a good way to help get used to the inverted world. You can also try "oscillation" which is a rhythmic rocking back and forth.

4. How do I focus on the lower back / upper back / neck region?

Inversion is a natural form of gravity-assisted traction. This means that the amount of traction applied to various locations of the body is exactly the right amount! Every vertebra and related disc is just the right size to support the weight above it. The large discs in the lower back are the right size to support the 60% body weight that is above them. The small discs in the neck are just the right size to support the weight of the head. When inverted, the weight normally supported is just the right weight to apply traction.

Gentle stretching and exercise is beneficial to help decompress and mobilize the spine:

Lower back

You may perform gentle stretching exercises to help move the muscles and connective tissues in the lower back area. In partial inversion, try rotating gently from side-to-side, or slowly rocking your pelvis forward and backward.

If you have worked up to full inversion, abdominal exercises (sit-ups, crunches) can be beneficial to the lower back, since strong abdominal muscles are key for proper posture. On the inversion tables, you can try a gentle back extension by placing your hands behind your head on the bed frame and pushing your body in an arch away from the table. On the DEX, you can perform partial to full back extensions (like reverse sit-ups), strengthening the muscles in your lower back.

Upper back

Many people experience upper back pain as a result of stress and muscle tension. The key to relieving this pain is to totally relax while inverting. Try deep breathing exercises. Also, partner work can be beneficial-nothing is more relaxing than an inverted back and shoulder massage!

Movement is also very beneficial. Try rounding your shoulders forward and pushing them back. Also, stretch one arm at a time across your torso to extend those upper back muscles.

Neck

Again, movement can be beneficial. Try rotating your head from one side to the other. Partner massages to the base of the head and back of the neck are very relaxing (do not apply pressure to the front of the neck). You can also add gentle inverted traction to your neck by resting your arms behind your head at the base of your skull (don't pull, just add the weight of your arms).

5. What exercises do you recommend while inverted?

Gentle stretching can be performed while partially inverted by crossing one arm over your body, gripping the opposite side of the bottom of the mainframe You can also arch the torso from side to side to loosen muscles and to help the mid- and lower spine to stretch.

Similarly, stress in the neck can be relieved by gently rotating the head to either side, plus lifting the head.  Do not sit up, only lift the head.

Only perform these exercises when you are comfortable with being fully inverted. Do not overdue it-as with any exercise to which your body is unaccustomed, you may experience sore muscles if you do too much too fast.
Inverted crunches: Place your hands on your chest or behind your head and lift your torso half way to your knees.

Vertical Situps:  This is the only way to perform a full sit-up that is safe for your back. Your spine is in line with gravity, so the full sit-up does not place harmful loads on the back. Place your hands behind your head or on your chest. Sit up all the way to your knees. You may need to place your hands behind your knees to help pull yourself up to a full sit up. Some people claim that 1 full inverted sit-up is as difficult as 10 regular sit-ups (without the strain on your back!)

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS NOT TO OVERDUE IT. INVERSION IS NOT A "NO PAIN, NO GAIN" SITUATION. AS SOON AS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH, STOP!

THE STRETCHING OF MUSCLES, LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, NERVES ETC. IS MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU REALIZE WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT ON THE GRAVITY TABLE.

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU OVER STRETCHED UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF BED DUE TO A PULLED MUSCLE IN YOUR NECK OR BACK.


6. I feel some aching in my back when I return upright from inverting. Is this normal?

There could be several causes for this. One cause could be that you did too much too soon. If you are new to inversion, your body is not used to being inverted. By inverting too much too soon, you are probably going to be a little sore. You can liken inversion to beginning any new exercise program. If you over-do it on the first day, you will probably pay for it later!

You returned upright too fast: When inverted, your vertebrae have a chance to separate and the discs can decompress. This action reduces pressure on the nerves that run through your spinal column. When you ascend (return upright) on the inversion table, your spine "re-compresses"-the vertebrae return to their normal position and the pressure on the discs increases again. If you come up from inversion too fast, you might place sudden pressure on the nerves that run through the spine, which can cause some pain.  Come up slowly, allowing your lower back to gradually adjust to the  changes.

Always keep in mind that if you experience extreme pain, or if you always experience pain while inverting, you should discontinue inversion until you have had a chance to talk with your doctor.

7.  Is the inverting detrimental if you should have heart disease or high blood pressure?

It is true that people should not invert if they have uncontrolled high blood pressure. However, inversion can cause a state of relaxation that results in a drop in heart rate and BP (sometimes even lower than at a resting state). Some doctors have used inversion as a treatment for high BP. If you have concerns, you should check with your doctor before inverting.

8. Will inversion therapy help with a bulged disc?

When inverted, the natural pull of gravity allows a separation of your vertebrae, which lessens the pressure on the discs in between each vertebrae. The action of increasing the space margins between the vertebrae can actually create a mild suction in the disc, which may help encourage the bulged disc return to its proper place.

The main benefits are realized by increased circulation and waste elimination to injured discs. In the opinion of many medical professionals, several sessions of intermittent traction are the best way to help the body dissolve a bulged disc.

The length of healing time will vary with different people.
9. Will inversion help with headaches or migraines?

Some people have found that inverting on a regular basis can actually help reduce the frequency of migraine occurrences. However, we do not have any medical studies to specifically back this claim. I would advise not to invert if you are in the middle of experiencing a migraine, as it could potentially worsen your headache.

10. Will inversion therapy help with draining blood from the lower limbs?

When inverted, you are helping your heart move venous blood from your legs and torso to the heart and lungs to be purified. Inversion also helps to move fresh, oxygen rich blood from your heart and lungs to your upper body and brain.

When a muscle contracts, this squeezes capillaries and slows removal of wastes from the muscle. Sustained muscle contraction due to stress or cramping causes wastes to accumulate in the tissue and this produces pain. What inversion does for muscles is two-fold: first, it stretches and relaxes them; second, gravity helps the lymph system to clear out the pain-producing toxins trapped in the tensed muscles.

By stimulating circulation, inversion has been known to relieve varicose veins. Varicose veins are caused when blood pools in the veins due to weakened one-way valves. The downward pull of gravity causes blood to slip back, and over time the vein will distend and become painful. When inverting, the pressure is relieved and the heart is able to clear the blood from the lower body.

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.