Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.’s Response Inversion therapy does not give long-term pain relief and is not suitable for everyone. Anyone with high blood pressure, heart problems, or glaucoma should avoid inversion therapy since the head-down posture can be dangerous.
Are inversion tables a waste of money?
Yoga promotes inversions in addition to these devices. Restorative postures are those that raise your legs above your head and lower body to stretch the back and spine and promote blood flow to the brain.
All of these pitches are natural and inviting. It’s simple to visualize gravity pressing down on your head and shoulders, squeezing you until your bones and joints are nearly suffocating. It makes reasonable that flipping yourself would reverse this pressure and allow blood to flow more freely. Unfortunately, researchers who have searched for proof that inversion can accomplish all of this have largely come up empty-handed.
The effectiveness of traction therapies for back pain has been examined by Maurits van Tulder, a professor of health sciences at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Traction is when a force is applied to separate two bones, allowing more joint space to be created. “According to him, “expanding the joint space between two vertebrae may liberate an entrapped nerve or relieve pressure on.” (Van Tulder’s description sounds eerily similar to those TV adverts.)
His study has demonstrated that traction therapies, whether administered by machines or by the skilled hands of a therapist, are ineffective in the treatment of back pain. According to him, another recent review study found similar unsatisfactory results, and inversion tables that rely solely on gravity to produce separation are unlikely to provide any back pain relief.
“According to van Tulder, “the evidence is fairly convincing that traction is not an effective treatment.” He goes on to say that inversion tables are useful “It’s a waste of money, and it misleads patients.”
It helps to understand how securely the bones of your back are joined to one another to comprehend why hanging upside-down doesn’t deliver all of those spine-separating benefits. “It’s very difficult to create separation and decrease pressure because there is so much muscle and tissue wrapped around the lumbar spine,” says Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine and a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Do chiropractors recommend inversion tables?
If you have back discomfort and wish to undertake inversion therapy, you should consult with a qualified chiropractor first.
Your chiropractor can determine whether inversion therapy is appropriate for you. They will conduct a thorough examination as well as x-rays to determine the source of your back pain. If they believe that using an inversion table can aid in your rehabilitation, they will advise you to try it.
If you go to your free chiropractic consultation and have your heart set on inversion therapy, tell the doctor. Allow them to explain why an inversion table would or would not be appropriate for the type of discomfort you’re experiencing.
Before starting inversion therapy on your own, we strongly advise that you get medical advice. Without a professional evaluation or diagnosis, you risk exacerbating the disease by attempting therapy on your own. Remember, as previously said, there are risks associated with utilizing inversion tables, and without the advice of a doctor, your chances of worsening your injury are significantly higher.
Our skilled doctors at Cobb Chiropractic offer a free consultation so that we can speak with you and determine whether you have a preference for your back pain relief treatment. Our goal is to assist you in your recovery, and we’d like to know if you have any treatment preferences. We’ll always tell you straight up whether or not we think you’re a good candidate for inversion therapy.
If you’re suffering from back pain, now is the time to seek the help of an experienced Chiropractor for pain relief.
To make an appointment with Greensboro, North Carolina’s Top Back Pain Chiropractors, simply click the button below.
Can inversion table make back worse?
You can try inversion therapy at home if you’re young and don’t have any other health issues besides back pain. When utilizing an inversion table, those with herniated disks or arthritis in their hips and knees are more likely to be injured. Mullen advises speaking with your doctor before attempting inversion at home and following these safety precautions.
Skip the inversion table if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or vascular headaches.
If you have cardiovascular difficulties, inversion puts additional stress on your blood vessels, which can raise your risk of stroke.
Don’t lean back too far.
To get a nice stretch from an inversion table, you don’t have to be entirely upside down. Leaning back too far, in fact, can be harmful. Mullen suggests sticking to a 30- to 35-degree angle for younger people and 10- to 15-degree angles for older people.
Don’t hang out too long.
“If you overstretch the connective tissue, your joints will be unhappy,” Mullen added. Begin by using the inversion table for a minute or two once or twice a day. Gradually up to five minutes per session twice a day.
Slowly return to an upright position.
Returning to an upright position too fast after reloading your joints with pressure can induce spasms and exacerbate back discomfort, especially if you have a herniated disk.
Does hanging help your back?
Hanging is a terrific way to help decompress the spine, and it can assist even if all you’ve done all day is sit at your desk. Because the lumbar spine is the main weight-bearing region of the spine, it’s no surprise that the lower back will experience the majority of compression-related back discomfort.
Do inversion tables decompress the spine?
Many of my patients inquire if I think an inversion table or spinal decompression therapy might be good for their back or neck pain. The answer is contingent on a number of things.
First and foremost, let’s define an inversion table and spinal decompression therapy. An inversion table entails reclining on a table that turns you upside down, allowing gravity to decompress your spine’s discs. Non-surgical spinal decompression is a type of traction in which a computerized traction device gently pulls the segments of your back or neck apart in a systematic and continuous manner.
Both systems have their benefits and drawbacks. Both can help patients avoid having their spines operated on by relieving lower back and neck pain caused by degenerative or ruptured discs. The most significant benefit of an inversion table is its low cost. For a few hundred dollars, you can get one of them and use it in your home. The most significant disadvantage of an inversion table is that it can be quite unpleasant. Many individuals find hanging upside down with blood rushing to their head unappealing, and it is not recommended if you have eye or cardiovascular problems. Patients also comment that the ankle bands are painful, particularly if they have ankle issues. Patients find spinal decompression therapy to be significantly more pleasant, which is significant because our muscles tighten up when we are unhappy. When muscles contract, traction becomes ineffective. Decompression therapy for the spine will also be significantly more helpful in addressing neck problems. This is because a computer can manage the degree of tension or traction, whereas inversion tables have less traction or pull the further away from the feet you go.
Is traction covered by insurance?
- A physical therapist may provide traction in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. Out-of-pocket charges for a physical therapist for people with health insurance typically range from $10 to $75 each session, with coinsurance of 10% to 50% or more. When medically essential, physical therapy is usually covered by health insurance.
- Physical therapy sessions often cost $50-$350 or more each session for those without health insurance, depending on the length of the session, the service offered during the session, and the provider.
- Some patients will be able to utilize a traction device at home instead of or in addition to physical therapy sessions. Depending on the shape, size, and sophistication of the device’s capabilities, at-home traction devices can cost anywhere from $15 to $2,000 or more. For example, the Diskard Head Halter, which has an over-the-door pulley system and is made of foam and flannel, costs $15, while the computerized MTD 4000, which has safety controls, various sensors, and speed options, costs $2,679.
- Home cervical and/or lumbar traction devices are considered experimental, exploratory, or unproven by several health insurers, such as Cigna, who will not cover them for any reason. Others may only cover a specific device type. When judged medically essential, Anthem will cover a “over-the-door” home cervical traction device. Patients who have health insurance that covers traction devices will normally pay a 20% copay.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, well-designed trials have found the operation to be ineffective for long-term relief, however it may be momentarily helpful for neck and back pain as part of a comprehensive therapy program for some people.
- According to SpineUniverse, a back pain and spinal information website, potential patients will be carefully screened initially by a physical therapist, who will be able to make decisions about the type of traction utilized and the length of treatment.
- Manual traction (traction exerted by the therapist), inverted suspension (traction exerted by the patient’s body weight), bed rest (traction provided by a pulley and weights), and powered traction are the most prevalent methods of traction (traction is exerted by a motorized pulley).
- Treatment can be done on an as-needed basis or for up to 10 minutes at a time.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, which cost between $5-$25 depending on the quantity and whether the patient buys a name brand or generic equivalent, may be recommended for extra pain relief.
- Many physical therapists provide package deals. Joint Ventures Physical Therapy and Fitness in Massachusetts, for example, charges $70 for a half-hour session and $105 for an hour, but provides packages that save $10 on each session.
- Others offer uninsured/cash-paying patients discounts. Cash-paying patients at ARC Physical Therapy in Illinois receive a 30% discount, as well as special waivers or discounts for individuals who are experiencing financial hardship.
- The American Physical Therapy Association has a physical therapist finder that allows you to search for therapists by zip code and specialty.