Inversion tables are one way to relieve some of the pressure on your spine and help improve your mobility.
But before you invest in an expensive table, read this post to learn about the pros and cons of inversion tables to make an educated decision about whether or not it is right for you.
Pros and Cons of Inversion Tables on Your Health
Let me start with the essential information you’re after. Here are the health benefits and risks of using inversion tables.
Health Benefits of Using an Inversion Table
These are the pros inversion tables have on your health.
1.) A Healthier Spine
If you’re unaware, simple activities like sitting, bending, and running pressure your spinal discs. Unfortunately, this heightens your risk for back pain and other complications.
Inversion therapy helps with stretching your spinal column. It improves the spaces between the discs of your spine.
Better disc space relieves that pressure off of your spine. It even gives your nerves more room for the uninhibited travel of nerve impulses from your brain.
2.) Decreased Chronic Back Pain
One of the benefits of inversion therapy is it helps relieve back pain.
This study observed 47 people suffering from chronic lower back pain. Using three-minute sets, each at different angles, they went through inversion table therapy.
What were the results?
Practicing inversion therapy at a 60-degree angle helped with lower back pain relief. In addition, it reduced their chronic back pain after 56 days.
Teeter is a high-quality brand that offers inversion tables with superior features but is reasonably priced. You will learn on this guide which model matches your needs the most.
We’ve tried and tested the 5 best inversion tables on the market that can help with back pain. In this post, you will learn what’s the right table for you.
3.) Bending Forward Becomes Easier
Inversion therapy increases 25% forward trunk flexion for people who experience pain that restricts their movements.
What’s this forward trunk flexion you speak of?
It’s the ability to bend over forward. Any restriction that can impede a simple activity like picking something up off the floor can even cause muscle atrophy.
4.) Improved Flexibility
Aside from the increase in trunk flexion, inversion table therapy translates to being more flexible overall.
Enhanced flexibility can be achieved through micromovements in your spine by doing inversion therapy. It even helps strengthen your body and improve your posture.
5.) Improved Blood Circulation
Better blood circulation may be one of the surprising benefits of the use of inversion tables. Here’s how it works.
When hanging upside down, gravity helps blood flow towards your upper body. As a result, your blood quickly reaches your brain, and your heart gets some rest.
Side Effects and Dangers of Using an Inversion Table
Like any product or treatment, you should also be aware of the cons.
1.) Increased Blood Pressure
Being suspended upside down not only leads to this, but it also lowers your heart rate. So I recommend anybody afflicted with high blood pressure or heart disease need to stay away.
If you’re highly considering inversion therapy, speak to your doctor first.
2.) Elevated Eye and Ear Pressure
Increased pressure on your eyes and ears is another risk. I recommend anyone with a preexisting condition on these parts of your body to avoid hanging upside down.
People with glaucoma, a detached retina, or even hearing problems should steer clear.
3.) Risk of Damaging Your Joints
This risk is increased, especially for people who have arthritis in their hips or knees. Steer clear from inversion table use and avoid damaging your joints further.
4.) Risk of Muscle Pulls
Let me give you a quick rundown of what causes this risk. First, inversion therapy provides traction and involves a lot of stretching.
Then, it increases your muscles’ susceptibility to pulling, even tearing. Over-exertion triggers it, and it’s a huge pain.
5.) Risk of Fractures
It’s one of the dangers people with bone issues face. Your risk for fractures is higher if your spine is weakened or damaged beforehand.
So if you have any bone condition like osteoporosis, you should also avoid inversion table use.
Inversion therapy has been shown to have many benefits, especially for people with back pain. However, some negative side effects come with using inversion tables.
What if an inversion table no longer works for you? Worried you’ve not got enough space in your home for a full-sized table? No bother, you can do inversion therapy without a table.
Pros and Cons of Inversion Tables as Equipment
Up next are the pros and cons of inversion tables as pieces of equipment.
Advantages of Inversion Tables
These are the pros that make inversion tables stand out.
1.) Economical
Are regular chiropractic sessions hurting your wallet? Getting an inversion table will cost less than having regular inversion therapy sessions with your chiropractor.
With prices ranging from less than $100 to a little under $600, it’s cheaper than frequently paying $60 and above.
2.) Accessible and Convenient
You can use your inversion table whenever you want. It almost eliminates the inconvenience of arranging consultations with chiropractors and traveling to their clinics.
Also, given their portable nature, you can easily use inversion tables in your home or office.
3.) Naturally Therapeutic
Inversion table treatments might seem unorthodox, but that characteristic gives them an advantage.
There are no forms of medication involved with inversion table therapy. It only makes use of gravity.
Disadvantages of Inversion Tables
Like all products, they also have drawbacks.
1.) Noticeable Changes Take Time
Compared to electrical stimulation and other physical therapies that provide speedy relief from pain, discernible health improvements from using an inversion table take longer.
How long does it take then?
It usually takes eight inversion therapy sessions. Going through all that can be frustrating, especially if you find hanging upside down for 15 minutes more than once a day disagreeable.
2.) They Can Cause Discomfort
I have mentioned that table treatment is unconventional. That being said, inverting and suspending yourself can be uncomfortable for some people.
Others may not even find it soothing despite using an inversion table multiple times. Thus, unless treatment is conducted by a professional, inversion therapy would seem strange to other people.
3.) They’re Unusual Tools for Treatment
Did you know that the medical community generally approves inversion table therapy? Despite this, it’s still considered uncommon.
In reality, it’s only given to patients as adjuvant therapy! So before getting your device, consult your doctor.
Inversion Table Safety: Some Warnings and Tips
Since you’re now aware of the pros and cons of inversion tables, here are some words of advice and caution.
Consult Your Doctor
Speaking with a medical professional is the most crucial precaution before buying an inversion table, especially for people with a preexisting condition.
You may need treatment for your back problems, but are facing all the dangers worth it? You don’t want to leave your body worse off than it was before getting inversion treatments.
Who Should Avoid Using an Inversion Table
I already gave some warnings about who should stay away from inversion tables. Still, I made this list to REITERATE and EMPHASIZE them:
For Pregnant Women: Inversion Risks Your Baby’s Well-Being
You already know being on an inversion table for an extended period heightens your blood pressure and decreases your heart rate. That’s exceptionally risky during pregnancy.
How does that put my baby at risk?
Your baby relies on your healthy circulatory system. So if you’re pregnant, you should avoid any inversion treatment.
Inversion Table FAQs
Here’s a section answering some questions you may still have.
What Are Inversion Tables For?
Inversion tables are devices used for inversion therapy. It’s a form of treatment that shifts your body’s gravity and eases the pressure off of your back.
It involves inverting your body, stretching your spine, and relieving your back pain. It also provides traction for your spine.
Trivia: Did you know that inversion was already being used over 2000 years ago? It was used by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, as a treatment for his patients’ back pain!
Besides helping with lower back pain relief, inversion table therapy also helps with:
How Do Inversion Tables Help With Inversion Therapy?
Inversion tables are devices that make it safe for you to be hanging upside down.
Why would I want that, though?
There are a lot of nerves in your body. An inversion treatment eases the gravitational force off of those nerves.
It even reduces the gravitational force pressing against your spinal disks. As a result, it opens up your vertebrae and helps relieve back pain.
This method of spine stretching relieves your body. Spinal traction is even a technique utilized by chiropractors.
Do Inversion Tables Help With Other Health Problems?
Yes, they do! Some inversion tables have even been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as medical devices.
They even stated that inversion tables also help with the following health issues:
Did This Article Help You?
I hope it did! The pros and cons of inversion tables are numerous. Before you go, let me leave you with two key points:
- First, the use of inversion tables has health benefits and risks! Do some more research if you must!
- Second, consult a medical professional first! It’s the most necessary precaution before buying your table.
