People with recurring back pain are willing to try almost anything for relief…and one of those things might be an inversion table, a tilting table that allows you to position yourself upside down. If done properly, inversion therapy might work, says Cleveland Clinic pain-management specialist Haren Bodepudi, MD…but probably only for a while.
The theory behind inversion therapy for back pain is not new. In fact, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed hanging upside down to relieve back pain. Doctors of physical therapy still use inversion tables today to relieve back pain caused by spinal compression, when one or more vertebrae in the back collapse or compress due to osteoporosis or injury. If the space between vertebrae becomes too narrow, the bone can press on a spinal nerve and cause back pain.
Pain from nerve compression—sometimes called sciatica—can be sharp and burning and shoot down the front or back of your leg…and it may include numbness and weakness in your back or legs. Inversion therapy, also called passive stretching or spinal traction, is one way to relieve the compression and the pain.
Inversion tables are sold not just for back pain. Proponents also say that inversion therapy improves circulation, straightens posture, increases flexibility, improves breathing and maintains brain health.
Problem: There is not enough research to support the use of an inversion table for any of these benefits.
An inversion table may alleviate back pain caused by spinal nerve compression, but the effects are not long-lasting and it doesn’t work for everyone. An inversion table works best as part of a physical therapy program, along with exercise, good posture, lifting carefully and maintaining a healthy weight.
If you choose to try inversion therapy, it is safest to tilt the inversion table down at angle of about 45 degrees. Don’t go all the way upside down. Always have someone with you to make sure you can get yourself back up. Start with only one to three minutes, and stop if you feel dizzy or nauseous. Over time, you may be able to work up to five or 10 minutes but no longer than that…and you could increase the incline to 60 degrees.
Best: Try an inversion table in a physical therapist’s office before getting one for home, and even then check with your doctor. Don’t try an inversion table if you have heartburn, acid reflux, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, glaucoma, retinal eye disease, inner-ear disease or if you are pregnant.
