To Invert Or Not To Invert
What the Heck is an Inversion Table?
Inversion tables are neat, rather quirky looking contraptions that enable one to flip themselves upside down while suspended by their ankles. There you can dangle for an undetermined amount of time looking like some sort of bat, if you were to wear all black that is.
But why, other than for the fun of it, would anybody want to hang upside down on one of these things? Are there any real benefits? Could it even hurt you to stay in this unnatural position?
Read on to find out!
A little About the Author
Teeter inversion table
Click on the image to buy the same inversion table that I’ve been happily using for years to decompress when feeling stressed!
I, for many years, have been the proud owner of a Teeter inversion table. I do not use it in accordance with any sort of strict schedule. I just use it when I feel like it. But it probably works out to once every other day or every three days for 3 to 5 minutes at a time.
For this article I am using my own personal experience along with research to give you the low-down on inversion therapy. I’ll give you the good and the bad, so you can make your own informed decision!
Inversion Therapy - THE MIRACLE CURE ALL!!
Inversion therapy is controversial. Some tout it as being some sort of miracle cure supposedly able to do anything from fixing lower back pain to stopping your hair from falling out. While others claim that in some circumstances it can exacerbate your conditions or even create new ones.
Some studies have been conducted concerning inversion therapy for back pain relief though they are inconclusive. And this is mostly where inversion therapy stands in general. It is difficult to conclusively prove or disprove the claims made.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Though there is at least one thing that seems to be universally agreed upon and that concerns who SHOULD NOT partake in inversion therapy.
Hanging upside down can cause complications for people: with bone and joint disorders such as osteoporosis, who have cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, who are pregnant, and or who are obese (What Are the Risks and Benefits of Inversion Therapy?, 2019, "Risks of inversion therapy" para. 1 & 2), so if you fit into one of these categories then you may want to think twice before trying inversion therapy.
What Can Inversion Therapy Do For You?
But for the rest of us it is often said that inversion therapy “realigns your spine, improves posture and may improve conditions such as scoliosis and lordosis” (Miller, n.d., para.1).
Many of these claims are common sensical. If you have a hunch, or a misaligned spine for instance, then it stands to reason that hanging upside down can help to stretch the muscles out and to pull your body back into alignment, since in this configuration gravity is working to straighten you out rather than its typical role of compressing you.
And though there are studies that support the idea of conversion therapy being good for your back such as that done by Prasad et al., (2012) which found that “Intermittent traction with an inversion device resulted in a significant reduction in the need for surgery” ( “Conclusion” section) for patients with backache and sciatica, the fact is the studies claiming benefits of inversion therapy are often small scale and are scarce and somewhat inconclusive.
And do not forget the groups mentioned above who should not engage in inversion therapy. If you have high blood pressure, osteoporosis, bone and joint disorders, are pregnant, or obese, then inversion therapy can make things worse.
A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt, consult with a doctor before attempting any new therapies.
Though back pain is the main focal point of inversion therapy, there are claims that it can cure many more ailments.
How about growing your balding hair back!
It is believed that hanging upside down will increase blood flow to your scalp thereby bringing more nutrients, hormones and more of what hair needs to grow. But, although seemingly commonsensical and not without merit, this author was not able to find any quality sources supporting this claim. So does inversion therapy help to grow your hair back? Who really knows. To find out for sure you’ll have to be your own test subject.
Who Needs Yoga?
Inversion tables can help to improve flexibility. While you're hanging from the table everything is getting stretched out. I can personally attest that you can feel this stretch in your legs and in your whole torso.
And there is some evidence to support this claim. In Vernon (1985) a study was performed to test for the physiological effects of inversion therapy. And it was found that forward flexibility of the torso had increased significantly (p. 137 “Results” section), but, once again, this is another small study and is hardly conclusive.
Quality matters!
One can certainly find many testimonials on the websites of the various inversion device manufactures touting the benefits of inversion therapy, but one can also find stories of people being injured when they fall from their inversion table. And this leads to an important note. If you buy an inversion table, get one from a quality manufacturer.
You are relying on it to hold you upside down after all. If it breaks while you're in this position then you could get dropped onto your head.
It's not difficult to imagine how that could turn out.
Some Pro Tips
At first, it can be a bit tricky to flip yourself back around so your feet are on the ground again, so in order to avoid being stuck upside down you should have a buddy nearby that can flip you back over if need be.
This is just a temporary issue though. Flipping yourself back over is easy once you get the hang of it.
Do not eat before using your inversion table. Give yourself plenty of time to digest whatever you did eat in the hours before inverting yourself. The reason for this is pretty obvious. It feels very weird and unsettling to have a full stomach while you’re hanging upside down. It can feel like the food is moving the wrong way.
One more tip, since you're being held upside down by your ankles, it can be a bit bothersome to your ankles and feet to be in this position for long. In fact, discomfort to my ankles and feet is usually what stops me from hanging for a longer period of time.
I find that wearing heavy shoes like work boots helps a lot with this. The boots will take a lot of the force and give some relief to your feet and ankles.
In Conclusion
As stated earlier, I own an inversion table and I like the thing. I use it regularly and I do feel that it has improved my posture and helps to keep my back feeling good and it gives me a really nice whole body stretch!
The ultimate conclusion though, has to be inconclusive. There needs to be more studies done on inversion therapy to reach a definitive answer as to what the benefits of inversion therapy are or the potential harms.
Though do not let the lack of studies discourage you. A lack of supporting evidence due to a lack of studies conducted does not mean that inversion therapy doesn’t work, it just means that you will have to take a leap of faith with it!
Get Yourself a Top of the Line Inversion Table!
Once more, here is a link to the inversion table that I’ve been using for years to help take a load off and decompress! I love this thing and I think you will too. So if you feel like giving it a try then click the link and get started!
References
Cherney , K. (3 C.E., January). What Are the Risks and Benefits of Inversion Therapy? [Review of What Are the Risks and Benefits of Inversion Therapy?]. Healthline; Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/inversion-therapy
Manjunath Prasad, K.-S., Gregson B. A., Hargreaves, G., Byrnes, T., Winburn, P., Mendelow, D. (2012, January 23). Inversion therapy in patients with pure single level lumbar discogenic disease: a pilot randomized trial. Nation Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22263648/
Milbrand, L. (2023, July 20). Inversion Table Risks Are Real: Here’s What to Know Before Trying One. Livestrong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/453227-what-are-the-dangers-of-an-inversion-table/
Miller, S.-J. (n.d.). How to Grow Taller Using an Inversion Table. Livestrong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/277320-how-to-grow-taller-using-an-inversion-table/
Vernon,, H., Meschino M., Naiman, J. (1985, September 29). Inversion therapy: a study of physiological effects. Nation Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2484360/?page=3
