September 2001 The Benefits of Inversion Therapy

September 2001

Benefits of Inversion Therapy

If you think that hanging upside down to relieve back pain is a wacky, new-age idea, Think Again! Inversion therapy has been used for hundreds of years to help relieve back pain, reduce stress, stimulate circulation, promote flexibility and proper spinal alignment, and reduce the effects of aging caused by gravity. Inversion tables that are available these days are safe and easy to use. Inversion reverses the natural pull of gravity on the body. Inverted, your body weight applies mild traction to your spine (which elongates), increasing the space between the vertebrae and reducing the pressure on the discs. Every nerve in the body leaves the spine through spaces between the vertebrae. Increasing the space reduces the pressure on the nerve roots and discs. Less pressure means less back pain.

By oscillating up and down on the inversion table you can create a pumping action for fluids around the spinal discs (which do not have their own blood supply); forcing wastes out and drawing fluids around the discs. Inversion helps muscles relax so blood flow is increased, which reduces the tension that is a major contributor to muscle spasms in the back. Using your own body weight, inversion also helps your body recover from high impact activities like aerobics, weight lifting and even driving. Inversion can speed up recovery time after exercise by increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid, which helps clear lactic acid out of the muscles.

Not only does inversion help to relieve back pain and make the spine more flexible, it also increases oxygen flow to the brain. Your heart generally must work against gravity to pump blood up to your brain, which is the body’s largest consumer of oxygen. Your brain cells function best with an ample capillary blood supply. Some people claim that increasing the circulation of blood to the head through inversion may also improve the color and tone of your skin, stimulate mental alertness, and improve hearing and vision. In addition, you may have healthier hair because the scalp is well supplied with blood.

Used sensibly, inversion is extremely beneficial, and no more dangerous than many other popular and widely-practiced fitness activities. The experience of thousands of people who invert regularly is that it gives them the relief from back pain they’ve been looking for. Just as important, they gain the rejuvenating effects of inversion on the entire body, providing health benefits far beyond the relief of back pain.

J. B. Lester, Editor/Publisher

JBL44@aol.com Editor email

20 North Gore, Suite 200

Webster Groves, Missouri 63119

314-962-7748 ph.

314-962-0728 fax

The Healthy Planet does not endorse any information contained in articles or advertisements and we suggest consulting a health care professional before beginning any therapy or medical treatment.

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