Whether you’re looking to ease your back pains or tense muscles, inversion therapies appear like an excellent way to manage body aches and discomforts. This therapy, also known as spinal traction, relies on gravity to ease the pressure on your spine’s disks and nerves by temporarily creating more space between your back’s vertebrae.
Researches and studies are backing up the benefits of inversion therapies as a complementary method for certain disorders. Here we share some insight on how great inversion therapies are for you and why you may need one sooner rather than later.
There are Different Types of Inversion Therapies
If you’re looking to get yourself a machine to ease yourself into the world of inversion therapy, there are different ways you can start. The most common ones are tables meant to help stretch your back for a few minutes at a time when you stand in them while upside down. However, you can also pick models that allow them to exercise in that position, for instance, ab crunches or torso rotations. Another invention useful for this type of therapy is the inversion chair, where instead of standing, the person has to sit to perform the session. People performing certain yoga poses or even aerial yoga can also benefit from the same principles that sustain the basic logic of all inversion therapies if you’re looking to start through another discipline.
Inversion Therapy Helps with Pain Management
While some people use these implements to stretch their joints and muscles, there are some conditions you can help alleviate with inversion therapy. Some of the benefits of inversion therapy include back pain relief, spinal disk decompression, and some researchers are suggesting some efficacy in helping with sciatica pain and kidney stones. While it may not be a long-term solution for muscular pain, combining inversion therapy with physical therapy can be an effective way to treat sciatica pain from a protruding disk, decreasing the need for back surgery in some analyzed cases. For people who have injured ankles or knees, using an inversion chair can also help them to obtain gravity-assisted traction for different exercises.
How to Get Started with Inversion Therapy
It’s important that you get the approval and guidance of a physical therapist or go to a clinic to understand how to start with inversion therapy under supervision. However, if you don’t have any cardiovascular problems and you’re in a younger demographic, it’s possible to practice inversion therapy at home following some safety tips. As a rule of thumb, use the safety straps included in the chair or table to avoid slipping off the machinery, lean back slowly at a 30-degree angle on your first attempt, and limit your sessions up to 5 minutes, twice a day. After you’re done with the inverted pose, return slowly to the upright position to avoid triggering any muscle spasm or disk pain in your back. If possible, have someone else watching you in case you get in trouble and can’t get back up, especially if you’re using an inversion table. With these basic safety guidelines, you should be all set to search for the best option for you.
Risks Associated with Inversion Therapy
Changing your body’s center of gravity to decompress your spine can help you alleviate back pains and other conditions. Still, you should also be aware of the necessary precautions every person should take when contemplating using this therapy. For instance, the inverted position increases eye and retinal artery pressure, becoming a problematic situation for people suffering from glaucoma. Any person suffering from heart diseases or a history of strokes should consult their medic if this therapy is right for their situation. Making sure that this treatment is safe for you should be your top priority, especially if you’re pregnant or if you have risks of suffering joint injuries.
Seeking complementary therapies for treating back pains and muscle spasms is a common occurrence for many people, regardless of their age or sex. Inversion therapy can be a promising path to bring some relief as they follow additional physical treatments for compressed spinal disks or sciatica pain, which can seriously affect your quality of life with its excruciating pain. If you take proper precautions and consult with a professional, it’s only a matter of time before inversion therapy starts to pay off and your body will feel more relieved from gravity’s weight. Taking control of your wellbeing with secondary therapy methods can bring benefits in the short term that will give you the necessary boost to pursue bigger challenges.