Lower back pain is nothing short of debilitating. And between pain relievers, massage, chiropractic, pain injections, basic exercises, and surgical options, there’s no shortage of ways to manage it.
A controversial approach to managing back pain and improving overall spinal health is with an inversion table.
The questions are ‘is an inversion table effective?’ and ‘does it fit my spine well?’
First… A very short anatomy lesson
Your spine is made up of vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other from about the level of your navel to your head.
While the spine is designed to provide protection to the spinal cord and keep it upright in the same way that a pole might hold up a tent, its design also allows you to bend, twist, rotate, and move your upper body around. all directions.
The bones themselves do not actually bend or twist. Mobility comes from the joints formed by each bone in the spine joining the one above and below. Between each set of spinal bones is a disc (called an intervertebral disc) that connects to the spinal bone above and below.
The discs not only act as shock absorbers, but also have the added burden of creating a space between the spinal bone above and below for nerves to branch out from the spinal cord to all areas of the body, including the muscles. , organs and skin.
Discs are made of tough rings of elastic, fibrous material called cartilage. In the center of the outer hard rings is a thick fluid with the consistency of thick molasses.
Secondary to old injuries and microtrauma (i.e. prolonged sitting, repetitive work, poor posture, etc.) discs and joints can become compressed and prematurely degenerate over time.
The role of the inversion table
While the disc has a limited blood supply and therefore cannot easily heal once compressed, degenerated, or damaged, some studies indicate that the disc does have some nutrient supply that arises from load-induced fluid movement within it. and off the disk.
Research is controversial on how much nutrient supply the discus can get by compressing and decompressing it.
Why is this important?
In short, if the discus is not supplied with nutrients in some way, it will begin to break down or degrade. As noted above, once this occurs it will not regenerate or heal, at least not in an adult.
The role of the inversion table is essentially to decompress or stretch the discs and joints of the spine. Although controversial about the benefit, in theory it is reducing pressure on the tissues around the nerves that exit between the bones of the spine while also helping to improve the amount of nutrients and blood flow to the area.
Is it the right investment for you?
Whether or not an inversion table is right to add as part of your spinal health and maintenance regimen really depends on two factors.
First, does it ease your pain? If using it reduces whatever pain you’re experiencing at the time, then an inversion table is obviously for you; only for that.
Second, does function improve with long-term use? If it improves your ability to walk, lift, exercise, sit comfortably at work, garden, do housework, or any other activities of daily living, then again it’s a big plus for you.
A simple investment protocol
While an inversion table will likely come with a recommended protocol to follow, as a ‘degenerative disc’ patient and chiropractor in Keller, Texas, I have some recommendations as well.
While the most recent research sites moderate disc compression as the most beneficial treatment for improving disc-related spinal health, it would make sense that alternating moderate compression and decompression would have a positive impact on overall health and the function of intervertebral discs and spinal joints.
This would be more analogous to the care a patient would receive at a physical therapy or chiropractic facility that offers spinal decompression services. I have seen firsthand the positive impact such therapy can have on a person suffering from chronic low back pain.
Based on the success of decompression therapy in the clinic, it only makes sense to try to follow this same logic in a home investment unit.
When you start using an inversion table, start slow!
I recommend inverting about 15 degrees and holding it for 30 seconds and then coming back to the horizontal position (or even a little more) for 10 seconds so you’re putting a little bit of gravity on your spine. Repeat this cycle 10 times. Do this daily for 10 days.
Even at a 15 degree angle, your body will feel a slight muscle stretch and the benefits of increased blood and lymph circulation. Most people don’t need to exceed 60 degrees, as you’ll naturally begin to fight decompression at this angle. Do not exceed what your body tells you!
Also, if you have glaucoma or blood pressure related problems, hanging upside down for an extended period of time can have adverse effects.
Beyond the introduction of 10 days of ‘decompression followed by recompression’ in the column, I recommend 3 days a week holding the inverted position for one minute at 15-45 degrees and then returning to the horizontal position or slightly recompressing the column for 20 seconds. and then repeat. I have been doing about 10 cycles of this and have found that it improves my overall level of functioning and reduces any lower back pain.
What you add to the decompression protocol is up to you and what you want to add. This could include moving your head from side to side, stretching your arms above your head, or performing slow pelvic tilts.
When combined with a rehabilitation exercise program, the use of an inversion table really makes sense when you consider how compressed our discs and joints are due to long periods of sitting and poor posture and how commonly we have premature degenerative joints and discs due to past trauma and ongoing microtrauma.
However, as with stretching, strengthening, diet, and hydration, you’ll get the best long-term results if you find a program that works for you and stick to it. Once you’ve been using it for a couple of months, investing in even just twice a week is probably enough, but everyone is different in what frequency will work best for their spine.
Talk to your chiropractor or physical therapist about how often you should invert and specific movements to improve your inversion and, as with any home therapy program, if you experience unusual pain, stop immediately until you can consult your inversion professional. health.
