Medical practitioners get asked all the time, “Do inversion tables work?” Well, let’s find out. Many studies have been done to this day to figure out the correct answer to your question. To date, no one has pinpointed the perfect answer. Studies don’t show long-term benefits to one’s health regarding inversion tables. However, some other opinions might differ and swear that inversion therapy works. So, let’s dive into this subject a little more.
Patient Testimonies
Patients with long-term back pain might depend on inversion tables for daily relief. The caveat is that no amount of time on an inversion table cures their back pain. They utilize the table constantly to feel relief. Others find out from hearsay that a table has worked for friends or family, that it cured their pain, so testimonies from patients differ, thereby not forming a concrete answer to the question, “Do they work?”
What’s the Reasoning Behind an Inversion Table?
In 400 B.C., the Father of Medicine Hippocrates would hand patients upside down from a ladder to stretch the spine. We see more advanced technology to perform something like this, but the reasoning is still the same. Inversion tables were created on the idea that gravity can take a toll on their body, especially their back, throughout one’s life. Gravity, poor posture, and exercise strain one’s back, creating back or leg pain. Inversion tables work when someone lays upside down. Their spine is stretched the opposite way that it’s being pulled. This, theoretically, leaves more room for discs, nerves, ligaments, etc.
Does it Work?
The truth is, we’re not 100% sure inversion therapy works. It’s more common to hear that patients received immediate relief utilizing an inversion table, but pain resumed once they were placed upright or soon after. However, there is no harm in trying inversion therapy if approved by a medical professional. Patients who should never participate in inversion therapy include conditions such as hypertension and circulation disorders. Also, people with glaucoma or retinal detachments because being upside down increases pressure and blood flow to the head and eyes.
If you’re considering inversion therapy, talk to one of our professionals today. Call Tieperman Health and Wellness to set up an appointment. We can talk through your conditions and the process to see if inversion therapy is right or could work for you. Contact us today!