Inversion tables. Anybody used one?

[King Herald]

A guy I worked with a while ago told me that he once had a real bad back, and had to stop working offshore because of it. He bought an inversion table on the advice of a friend, and his life was turned around. (no pun intended) He is back working offshore, and his overall health has improved remarkably. His back is as good as new.

Apparently there are also certain organs in the body that benefit from being turned upside down for a spell too, though I forget which ones.

So, anybody got anything good or bad to say about them?

[Davi]

nope, but with the state of my back I'll be watching this one with interest...

[LordGrover]

Even wiki has doubts about its efficacy:

wikipedia said:

it is not widely regarded as a serious treatment

I didn't know what it is so googled: Click

[King Herald]

LordGrover said:

Even wiki has doubts about its efficacy:

wikipedia said:

it is not widely regarded as a serious treatment

I didn't know what it is so googled: Click

"Proponents counter that while gravity-related pressure is removed, the pressure of tight muscles is not, and that traction is needed to allow the possible space between spinal discs to be realized"

Hmmm, so hanging 100lbs of upper body weight from my lower back would not count as 'traction'?

"Skeptics note that pressure is also relieved when lying down in bed"

I have been told that even when asleep your muscles are tensed to support your back, thus not removing the pressure from the backs joints and discs.

[Davi]

King Herald said:

LordGrover said:

Even wiki has doubts about its efficacy:

wikipedia said:

it is not widely regarded as a serious treatment

I didn't know what it is so googled: Click

"Proponents counter that while gravity-related pressure is removed, the pressure of tight muscles is not, and that traction is needed to allow the possible space between spinal discs to be realized"

Hmmm, so hanging 100lbs of upper body weight from my lower back would not count as 'traction'?

"Skeptics note that pressure is also relieved when lying down in bed"

I have been told that even when asleep your muscles are tensed to support your back, thus not removing the pressure from the backs joints and discs.

Lying down definitely does not take all the pressure off, in fact my surgeon told me the most common way for discs to collapse is during sleep...!

[King Herald]

Come on folks, there must be at least a few PHers who have opinions of inversion tables???

[Davi]

I think you may just have hit the holy grail mate - a topic that no one on PH has an overwhelming opinion of!!!! I think you get a medal or something for that.

[King Herald]

Davi said:

I think you may just have hit the holy grail mate - a topic that no one on PH has an overwhelming opinion of!!!! I think you get a medal or something for that.

The ultimate non-topic eh?

[dreamer75]

I'll be following this too - a colleague of mine uses one (he had the same op - a discectomy - a few years ago) and says it helps him loads when his back is starting to play up.

Not too expensive on ebay..

[jas xjr]

I had a trapped nerve in my back a few years ago.
I went to. Chiropractor , which helped a bit but the problem was still there.
Then a friend lent me the inversion table , two 5 minute sessions on it and it worked.
Worth a try and cheaper than a chiropractor.

[spikeyhead]

King Herald said:

Come on folks, there must be at least a few PHers who have opinions of inversion tables???

Whilst I have neither a really bad back, or any experience with inversion tables, I'll often hang upside down using rope to suspend myself. It does take away the small aches that my back picks up from being sat in front of a PC all day.

[AlRaven]

Brother in laws got one, swears by it. I'd give it a go with my well dodgy back but can't 'cos of a hiatus hernia

[King Herald]

Keep 'em coming, keep 'em coming, this thread is gonna be huuuge!

[Driller]

I tried one in a sports shop once. All the blood rushed to my head and I nearly passed out. I had to get the female sales assistant to help me out of the confounded thing which she seemed to find very amusing.