How to use an Inversion Table for Back Pain

August 31, 2015

Inversion therapy is a kind of a therapy which is used to provide relief in back pain. This therapy finds use in those cases where back pain is caused due to a spinal condition or degenerated discs. What these conditions do is that they place the gravitational pressure on the nerve roots which leads to a sharp pain in the back, legs, feet and buttocks.

Inversion therapy includes turning your body upside down to increase the space and minimize the pressure between nerve roots and vertebrae. To perform inversion therapy, use of an inversion table can be made. With the help of an inversion table, you put your body upside down at a certain angle and work up from there. The following are the steps that you can follow to use an inversion table for back pain:

It is important to place and secure your inversion table on a stable surface and make sure all its parts and joints are properly fixed and tightly screwed together. Read the manual of the table to ensure that your body weight can be handled by the table and all steps of setting it up are properly done.

The next step is to wear athletic or sports shoes while using the table to ensure getting extra support. One must make it a point not to use it while wearing no footwear.

With your back towards the table, take your position and then lean forward with a straight back to pull the lever up and lock your feet properly.

Now you need to place the straps over your body. Make sure they are properly tied and are not too loose. Each table is different and you must make sure you are strapping yourself properly and according to instructions. The safety gear must be locked before you invert yourself.

You must grasp the straps right on both sides of the table and then push them off to invert your body.

When you begin to come back from inversion, make sure you rest in the horizontal position for a few minutes to ensure that the blood flow gets time to be adjusted.

Make sure you always use gentle movements when you use the table as this will avoid any pain or injury.

In order to find relief from spinal problems, raise your hands above your head. This must only be done if you are comfortable with leaving the grasp of the straps and when the table is stable.

In order to find relief from back pain, continue to use the table for 5 minutes or more at an angle of 25 degrees for about 7 days. If you wish to get used to it fast, then try it twice everyday for the first few days.